Dark Arrow
by whipsocold
Summary: Perseus is the son of a Primordial, born in ancient Greece. He clashes with Titans and falls into Tartarus, but returns stronger than ever. When faced with the choice to save or doom Olympus, which will he choose?
1. Chapter 1

A breeze past through the forest, rustling the leaves of the ancient trees. The moon was full, shining beautifully down on the forest. The shadows under a large tree suddenly began swirling in a vortex, then disappeared in flash of darkness. Where the shadows had been rotating lay a boy.

After a few minutes, the boy woke up and stretched. He gazed around blankly, apparently not knowing what had happened to him. He began walking aimlessly through the forest, pausing only occasionally to glance at the sky, as if something attracted him to the star-filled night sky. He maintained his direction for a while, not noticing the shadows encircling him.

Eventually, the boy reached a pristine pond in a clearing and contemplated his reflection. He looked to be fifteen, with messy, black hair. His features were pleasant to look at; many girls would swoon over his finely sculptured face. The boy was also lean. Overall, he had the looks to break many hearts. However, there was one curious aspect about this boy: his eyes were a mixture of gold and black that contrasted the whites of his eyes sharply.

After having looked at himself for a few moments, the boy took a long drink from the clean pool and stood once more. His acute senses suddenly sensed danger was nearby; his ears detected the cracking of some dried leaves within a hundred meters of his current location and he could sense a presence. The boy took a few steps away from the lake in the direction he heard the cracking when suddenly he was hit in the back by what felt like a massive rock. The boy flew into a nearby tree, and fell in a painful heap at the base of the tree. Groaning, he saw his aggressor charge at him once more. In a fluid motion, he leaped up and deftly twisted out of the way as his aggressor collided into the tree he had been leaning on.

The boy paused, stunned at his own reflexes. They had felt natural, as if he had been training to fight for the entirety of his life, despite the fact that he couldn't remember anything. Snapping out of his thoughts, the boy looked over to his aggressor. He gasped at what he saw: it was a wolf, and it was quite angry. The wolf growled angrily, irritated that its easy prey had managed to avoid him.

"You won't be able to fight me boy, I am a werewolf. Give it up," the wolf hissed. The boy simply narrowed his eyes, as his muscles itched for a fight. He took a few steps forward, then swung his fist at the wolf, who stepped back to avoid the blow. The boy grinned and feinted a punch once again, but as the wolf backed up again, he used his momentum to throw himself onto the wolf. Quick as lightning, he wrapped his arms around the wolf's neck in a death grip. The wolf's eyes widened, and he panicked as he tried to shake off his unwanted rider and saw that he couldn't.

The boy smiled genuinely for the first time since he woke up under the tree despite not remembering anything about his life. He felt right in his element, under the shining full moon. The wolf suddenly changed into his human form and flipped the boy over, expecting him to be smashed on the forest floor. To his horror, the shadows rapidly solidified behind the boy and cushioned his impact.

The boy raised an eyebrow in surprise at the turn of events, then raised his hand through instinct. The werewolf flew into the air, thrown by the shadows that had just saved the boy. He grinned and clenched his fist, causing the werewolf to get caught in the air by the shadows. The werewolf's eyes were wide as he tried to ignore the fear that was crawling down his spine.

"What are you?" he asked, horrified at the power rolling off the boy. The boy merely laughed and snapped his fingers. The werewolf's neck snapped and he died instantly. The boy released the dead werewolf from the grip of the shadows in the air, smiling at the power coursing through him. These powers of his seemed familiar, as if he had been trained in the art of manipulating the shadows. He growled in frustration as his mind turned back to the fact that he had no idea where he was nor who he was, not to mention what he was to do.

(line break)

The boy had been wandering for several days in the forest when he finally arrived at a village, where he determined that he was in Greece. He decided to remain there for the night, as he was weary of sleeping in the forest, having been lost for a week. He checked into an inn and obtained a room. As he lay back on his threadbare bed, the boy was suddenly gripped by an intense headache. Memories flashed through his mind, quicker than he could grasp. After a few minutes, the pain subsided, but one piece of information remained in his mine. Almost instantly, the boy knew what it was.

His name.

Perseus.

**2 Years Later**

**(Perseus POV)**

I woke up wearily from my makeshift bed in the forest. It had been two years since I'd woken up without any memories, but my past remained an enigma. I could not recall details about my past; the only remnants I had were the brief flashes of memories and my training.

My training. That was one thing that had come to me very rapidly. I knew, even without memories, that I had been training in my powers and in the usage of weapons since I was a mere child. Whenever I engaged in a fight, adrenaline immediately coursed through my veins like it was meant to be there. Every fight my instinct and muscle memory took over, and I fought like a god. My travels these last couple of years had shown me that I was a significantly powerful character, even though I didn't know my parentage.

Ever since I had discovered my fighting skills, I became a sort of vigilante; I hunted down criminals mercilessly and brought justice upon them. I reserved my most brutal punishments upon those who would defile women or abuse children, often severely maiming the offender then killing said offender. My actions had sprung a rumor around Greece about a dark angel that appeared out of the night to wreak havoc upon criminals.

As I stretched, a grin came to my face as I thought about the title I had been given. Arrow of the Night. The title came from the fact that my preferred ranged weapon was the bow, and my old training allowed me to claim to be one of the best mortal archers in Greece. Despite my love of the bow, I was most adept at sword wielding. Somehow, I had an inner sense for sword fighting, but the weapon I had stolen and now wielded was a pitiful excuse. It was terribly made, but despite my most thorough efforts, I was unable to find a better sword to use in all of my travels.

Snapping out of my thoughts, I began moving towards the next city. I asked myself occasionally what the point of wandering was, but with my secret identity and the fact that I wanted to find my memories more than anything, there was no chance for me to be able to settle down somewhere.

After an hour of walking, the forest finally began thinning, and the night began to darken the sky. The moon wasn't shining, and there was a sinister air about the whole place. As I slowed my pace a bit, I noticed a mountain rising in the distance. Before the mountain lay a beautiful field of flowers, whose intoxicating smell was attracting me. The night was pitch black, but my powers over the darkness allowed me to see as clear as I would during the day. I narrowed my eyes, ignoring the smells of the flowers. This place reminded me of a forbidden garden I had heard many tales about during my travels: the Garden of the Hesperides. I looked more closely at the mountain, using my control during the night to improve my vision. What I saw disturbed me: at the top of the mountain, the Titan Atlas was holding the sky up. There was no doubt anymore, I had stumbled upon the legendary garden itself.

As I reveled in my discovery, I heard a couple voices coming nearby

"Hurry!" a voice said, clearly female. "He will find us!"

"I'm not afraid," the other voice spoke up, this one the tones of a male. I could sense he was a demigod, his energy sparking out towards me. Two figures burst out of the forest and began sprinting through the flowers. The woman, identified clearly by her slender, graceful stature, was pulling a massive man as though their lives were in danger. The man was sporting a bizarre lion's pelt and had massive muscles.

They raced up the side of the hill, then dove into a thorn bush as they both disappeared from my sight. I advanced slowly across the flowers, picking my way through the path the two had beat down. There was only one reason the man was there: he was attempting to obtain the Apples of Immortality. As I trekked through the flowers to the base of the mountain, I gasped and realized who the man was. There was only one man who would be foolish enough to challenge the dragon Ladon, and that one man was Heracles. I had heard many tales about the challenges set upon him, the so-called twelve labors. If my assumption was correct, then this was one of the challenges that Heracles seeked to complete. Briefly I wondered why the girl was aiding the demigod; he was notorious for being a womanizer and for the way he took advantage of people to his gain. Surely she knew, surely she had not been charmed by the narcissistic demigod.

Movement up ahead caught my attention. I slipped into some cover and observed the scene in front of me with fascination. Heracles was advancing towards the tree, holding a large celestial bronze sword that glowed in the moonlight that he had not had as he was running across the field earlier. I spotted Ladon's dormant figure lying around the tree and stifled a gasp. The legends did not do the beast justice. It was absolutely massive, easily towering over the advancing Heracles. Suddenly, its hundred heads arose from their seemingly sleeping position. Two hundred pairs of eyes locked onto the advancing Greek hero as Ladon let out a roar. Out of the corner of my eye I noticed the girl from earlier looking on the scene with unease etched across her face. I realized in a flash that she must be one of the Hesperides, which explained her nervousness. She had betrayed her family and had to hope that Heracles took her with him. I shook my head disgustedly, knowing Heracles would never take her with him.

Meanwhile, the foolish demigod had engaged the dragon in combat. He was wielding the blade decently, slashing out and wounding Ladon all while avoiding the hundred heads. However, there was something wrong with the picture, almost as if Ladon was holding back from fighting full on. It suddenly hit me that the Hesperide had gifted Heracles with the blade, and Ladon clearly refused to fight at its strongest, unable to detect that this was not one of its guardians.

Heracles ducked under two stabbing heads then rolled under a few more heads into stabbing range of the dragon. He twirled the sword before stabbing Ladon, then cut through the dragon's body. Ladon let out a roar of fury as blood poured out of its large wound. It attempted to attack Heracles once more, but the man avoided its strikes, then ran towards the tree. He grabbed an apple and ran off the hill as fast as he could. The demigod didn't slow down as he passed the bush in which the girl was hiding in, as he continued his streak down the mountain.

"Wait!" cried the Hesperide, tears running down her face. "Don't leave me! I thought you were going to take me away from here! I have nowhere else to go now that I betrayed my family!"

Heracles stopped at the foot of the mountain and looked back at her, then smirked.

"Pretty one, did you truly believe I would take you. You were merely a means to an end."

I seethed at this cold figure standing just below me. Rage bubbled throughout my body as I heard those arrogant words, and anger took hold of me. Letting out a bellow of madness, I unleashed my full powers for the first time.

My black and gold eyes glowed with light as the night suddenly seemed to suck itself towards me, as if I were a black hole. The more of the shadows that came into me the more powerful I felt. I covered my body with an armor made of the shadows, conjured my bow, and fired four arrows rapidly at the retreating figure. The four arrows screamed through the air and landed true, each piercing Heracles' hands and feet, pinning him to the ground. Leaping from my vantage point, I punched the ground as I landed, releasing a shockwave of dark energy at the hated demigod and forcing him to scream in pain. Pulling out a dagger, I stalked angrily over to him. Heracles, still pinned to the ground by my arrows, actually looked fearful as he looked at my ominous figure moving towards him. He struggled to break free as I fired two more arrows, each through his shoulders. The man screamed in pain as he was thrown back once more. I stood above him, looking at him in disgust. As quick as lightning, I stabbed my dagger into Heracles' thigh, eliciting a roar of pain. Smirking slightly, I twisted my blade as the so-called hero howled. Pulling out the dagger, I moved up and cut into his biceps as he flexed to free himself from my arrows. My quick, surgical cuts each caused screams of pain to erupt from Heracles. Once my task done, I stepped back and contemplated the result of my work. On his biceps, I had carved "Angel of the Night". The sight brought a grin to my face, then I turned and dismissed the shadows I had called to encircle me as I walked calmly towards to the waiting Hesperide, holding the sword I had taken from Heracles.

**(Zoe POV)**

I couldn't believe it. I betrayed my family to allow this supposed hero to accomplish another of his challenges, expecting him to honor his promise to take me to see the world. Instead, after I gave him the key to defeating Ladon, he passed me uncaringly, only to stop and mock me. I wiped my tears as I watched his receding figure from my vantage point, when suddenly I spotted darkness suddenly converging on a point below me, but still on the hill. Suddenly, four arrows flew out from that point and hit Heracles, piercing the dishonest demigod and pinning him to the ground brutally. Glancing at where the arrows came from, I saw a figure jump off the hill and land devastatingly in the field below. I watched in awe as the figure, concealed by an armor that seemed to be composed of swirling darkness, began torturing Heracles, causing the hero to scream in pain multiple times. After a few minutes, the figure turned away from the man and began walking in my direction. The shadows that were encircling the seemed to slip away, and it allowed me to see who it was. The torturer of Heracles was a tall, striking boy, well-muscled but not overly so. He sported black, messy hair, and seemed to be around seventeen years old. I should've been fearful of him, seeing as he just tore Heracles apart like he was nothing, but I felt more at peace with him than I had ever been. I also noticed he was bringing back Anaklusmos, the sword I had mistakenly given to the disgusting figure now bleeding out in the field below me.

**(Perseus POV)**

I approached the Hesperide cautiously, knowing she would be on edge considering what had just occurred. I held out the sword in a pacifying gesture, trying to convey my peaceful intentions.

"Who are you? Why did you do that to him? What do you want?"

The Hesperide was clearly untrustworthy, not that I would blame her. After all, she just aided a supposed hero and was betrayed in repayment. Briefly I wondered whether I should conceal my identity from her like I had done on all my travels, but something told me I should not deceive her any more than she already had been.

"My name is Perseus. I was traveling through the nearby forest when I noticed this was the famous Garden of the Hesperides, so I decided to visit. I saw what happened with Heracles; I saw how he betrayed you. I despise people who merely manipulate and use others to achieve things they are unable to accomplish themselves. He was one of those people; he deserved punishment. To me, that worthless son of Zeus is no better than a criminal from the gutter. I don't want anything from you, I merely intend to return this sword. If I am not mistaken, it belongs to you."

The Hesperide hesitated, then took the blade and changed it into a hairpin.

"I thank you, Perseus. What am I to do now? I have betrayed my family."

"If I may inquire, and I intend no offense, but are you still a maiden?"

The Hesperide's eyes narrowed dangerously, and her hand went to the hairpin. I realized she was shaken at the core by Heracles' betrayal, making the destination I had in mind an even more suitable destination. I quickly added, "I am not like Heracles. I merely asked as I have a possibility for where you can go."

She visibly relaxed, then replied, "I am indeed still a maiden."

"In that case, I have the perfect plan for where you can go. You can join the Hunters of Artemis! To be honest, it really seems like the perfect place for you, and from what I've heard, it is an honor to serve Lady Artemis."

I clenched my fist, hoping she would like the idea as much as I thought it suited her. The Hesperide thought for a moment, then decided.

"Very well Perseus. Without my family and anyone else, with my trust shaken so, your plan appears to be optimal."

I smiled genuinely as I heard this. I successfully saved someone who could now turn into a legend; I gave this girl a purpose in life again.

"I'm glad to have found a solution to your problem. Allow me to take you to the hunters, where you can have audience with Lady Artemis," I said.

"Uh… How do you intend to find them and deliver me to them?" she asked curiously.

"Over my years of traveling, I have saved a couple girls from abusive childhoods and delivered them to the hunters. I encountered them on accident after saving the first girl, and as a result the first girl gave me a charm I could use to determine their location if I ever found more potential recruits. I can also teleport using my powers, so we can be on our way."

The Hesperide smiled for the first time, and nodded in response.

"Take me to the hunters then Perseus." I held out my hand and she placed hers in mine. I felt a small spark go through me, but I shook it off. _I'm delivering her to the hunters, I have no past, I can't remain with her_ I thought furiously. I touched the charm given to me by the girl and traced where the hunters were, then flashed out in a burst of black light.

We reappeared in a forest similar to the one I had woken up two years previously, on the edge of a small lake. I let go of the Hesperide's hand and touched the charm again, determining that the hunters were a few hundred meters north of us. I turned to the girl and said,

"You can find the hunters north of here, about three hundred meters away. I cannot come closer, since I am a male, and the hunters don't know that I have been saving these girls as a sort of self-employed job. I hope this is the future you want and deserve."

She smiled at me, clearly quite eager to join the hunters. To my surprise, she came over and hugged me tightly.

"Thank you Perseus. You avenged me against Heracles, saved me from being punished by my family, and gave me a chance at a new future. I know this isn't enough as repayment, but I would like you to have my sword."

She slid the hairpin out of her hair and willed it into the shape of the sword from earlier.

"My mother once told me I should give this blade to a true hero. I mistakenly believed that true hero to be Heracles, but now I know you were the true hero that was meant to wield my sword. You shall from now on be Perseus, wielder of Anaklusmos."

She slipped the sword into my hand and closed my hand around the hilt, flashing me a small smile. Then, she turned and began walking towards the hunters' camp.

"Wait!" I called. She glanced back questioningly. "You never told me what your name is. How can I thank you without knowing your name?"

"My name is Zoe Nightshade," the Hesperide replied.

"Zoe, I cannot thank you enough for entrusting me with this blade. I hope I can wield the way it deserves to. I bid you farewell, and perhaps, in the future, we can meet again."

Zoe smiled. "I hope we meet again as well, Perseus." At this, we parted, and I headed towards the lake to get a drink. I remembered the spark that went through me when I grasped Zoe's hand, but once again shook off the memory. Zoe was probably getting sworn in as an eternal maiden at this very moment and I still needed to discover the truth about my past.

As I walked, I looked over Anaklusmos. The blade was beautiful, three feet long, perfect craftsmanship. Its celestial bronze gave off an intimidating glow. I wrapped my hands around the hilt and willed it to turn into a simple circular ring like I saw Zoe willing it into a hairpin. The blade shrunk and morphed into a ring, which I placed on my ring finger.

At the edge of the water, I kneeled down and drank some of the water. Something was severely off about the water, however. Instead of a pacifying coolness I had come to expect from the remote bodies of water I had encountered on my travels, the water tasted very bitter.

"Well, well, well… What do we have here? A silly demigod?" a cold voice rumbled from behind me. I turned and gasped in horror. My eyes beheld a massive, twelve foot tall figure cladded in light blue armor. It had a beautifully designed helmet that covered his face apart from two slits for the eyes, which were two dark blue flames that struck fear into my core. The figure wielded two blades both around four feet long. The two blades were also striking, pitch black with geometric blue lines arcing throughout. I immediately knew who I was facing: the Titan Oceanus.

"Ahh... I sense your fear, and it is not misplaced. I am, after all, one of the most powerful Titans. Now, let's get down to business, shall we?"

I was stunned. What did a Titan want with me?

"Listen little demigod. I may have not joined my brothers during the first Titan War, but the way I have been exiled since then have shown me I made a mistake. Perhaps, with my aid, my brethren wouldn't've fallen. That, however, is a matter of the past. As of now, we are returning. The Titans will soon all return from Tartarus and regain control, as we rightfully deserve."

To be honest, I couldn't see where Oceanus was going with this. What do I have to do with the rise of the Titans?

Oceanus smirked visibly.

"Little demigod, you have everything to do with the fall of Olympus and the rise of me and my brethren. And, before you ask, yes, I can sense your thoughts just like the gods of Olympus can. We are a much older race. Now, regarding your role in this mess, I have come with an offer to make. I know that you aren't an ordinary demigod. We have been observing you for a while: your powers are unique. You, more than most, are almost in tune with the darkness. You seem to have no ties to the worthless Olympians. Kronos needs a mortal body to inhabit in order to return from Tartarus as a result of the punishment he was inflicted with after the Titan War. We ask you to allow Kronos to inhabit your body until he can reform his own. Then, we will wage war on Olympus. If you aid us in this cause, we will reward you handsomely, perhaps even allow you to become a Titan by making one of our neutral Titans fade. I would recommend considering this offer."

My jaw dropped as I listened to Oceanus outline their plot for revenge. I had heard many good things about the Golden Age in which Kronos and Rhea had ruled fairly, but I had also heard that before his fall, Kronos' old self had been destroyed by his power hungry, brutal personality developed notably after hearing the prophecy about his impending doom at the hands of his children. However, what this Titan was telling me seemed to be based entirely around revenge; he clearly did not care for whether their rule was to be better or worse than the Olympians.

I frowned, thinking about my connection to the Olympians. Oceanus did not lie when he informed me that I was different, that I had no ties to the gods. Now that I thought about it, my powers differed from those of Hades. My control over the darkness and the shadows far exceeded that of the offspring of Hades, and the way the night strengthened me was unheard of.

However, the Olympians had never done me wrong. Artemis, despite her hatred of males, had not mistreated him when he delivered the first girl to her hunters. None of the gods had tried to stop me because I was supposedly too powerful for a regular demigod. Why would I give up my vigilante lifestyle that was so fulfilling for me? I glanced at the Titan, who was clearly trying to observe my thoughts. I grinned; after he told me about his mind reading powers, I had drawn upon my powers to complete shield my mind. Even a being as strong as Oceanus couldn't break the barrier I had set up.

"Oceanus, with all due respect, I don't see the purpose of this war. I know that the Golden Age was the greatest period of peace the world ever saw, but Kronos has changed. Even without the Olympians, I doubt he would have remained in power for very long, as he was becoming brutal and ruthless. I have no qualms with the rule of the Olympians, although I do not agree with the way they have treated the remaining Titans, such as yourself. I decline your offer, and in this upcoming war, I would prefer to remain neutral."

The Titan's eyes flamed, and his face contorted in anger as I explained to him my reasons for rejection. After a few moments, he regained control of his emotions and replied in a flat voice,

"Very well. Foolish demigod, you leave me with no choice." Oceanus snapped his fingers, causing two other Titans to emerge from the woods. I recognized one as being Tethys and the other as being Epimetheus. Neither of the two were exceedingly powerful, but I had no chance to take on all three of the Titans. I noticed all three of them hadn't participated in the first war. Clearly, the gods had been quite distasteful as rulers if all the Titans, even the once neutral ones, were enraged.

I willed Anaklusmos into existence and charged Oceanus. The Titan of the oceans raised one of his blades and deflected mine to the side, then stabbed at me with his other blade. I twisted out of the path of his sword and used the momentum from my diverted blade to send my body to the side of his. As I flew past him, I instinctively punched his extended wrist, hitting a nerve I had clearly trained many times to aim for. The damaged nerve numbed Oceanus' hand and forced him to drop the second blade. The Titan roared and whirled around, slashing at me in anger. I ducked his sword and we began clashing, each trying to force the other into making a mistake. However, my extensive training made me a superior sword wielder, and the power of Anaklusmos merely served to improve my fighting. After a few minutes, I saw an opening, launching a feint to the right. Oceanus raised his remaining sword to deflect my blow, while I whirled and launched a spinning kick with tremendous power into his chest, sending him flying into a tree. In a flash, I pulled out a couple throwing knives I had, and threw them at the Titan, who raised his blade and sliced one of the knives out of the air. The other pierced his shoulder and elicited another roar of anger. Golden ichor dripped from the wound I had just dealt him. As the Titan yanked my knife out of his shoulder, I ran towards him at full speed, hoping to end the fight then. However, I felt a tremendous force impact my side right before I could kill Oceanus. Epimetheus had joined in the fight, and my body was thrown unceremoniously into the lake. Tethys froze the water around me and trapped me in the ice. I drew on all my power, trying to absorb shadows and channel the night like I did against Hercules, but dawn had risen during my sword fighting against Oceanus, which meant I no longer had the strength to stand up to the Titans.

Oceanus got up and smirked at Percy, "You impress me puny demigod. It truly is a shame you refused our generous offer. Now you shall reap the rewards of your refusal."

The Titan snapped his fingers, causing a massive crevice to form right in front of them.

"It is time to unite you with our brothers and sisters that are undeservedly stuck in Tartarus. After you, my dear wife," Oceanus said, motioning to Tethys. The Titan of the Sea smiled at her husband as the two lifted me up out of the water, still imprisoned in the block of ice, and threw me into the crack in the ground.

Epimetheus peered over the edge and shouted, "Look at the sky one last time demigod! Now you are on your way to Tartarus, and you will never come back!"

I plunged into the pitch black hole in the ground, accelerating incessantly. _This is the end_ I thought sadly. _I am cursed to die in Tartarus, friendless and alone, with no memory of my past. _I kept falling for several minutes, causing me to think that this hole was infinitely deep. After what seemed like forever, the hole opened up into a massive cavern, with the ground several miles below me. Despite the darkness, I could easily see the ground rush up to meet me. I braced myself for impact, as I revisited my life during these final moments. My thoughts swirled around from one criminal I had dealt with to another, from one child I had saved to another. My mind settled on a picture of Zoe smiling as she thanked me for what I had done for her as I closed my eyes and prepared to die.

To my surprise, I suddenly began slowing down. I groaned; clearly I was not fortunate enough to escape torture by means of an easy death. After a few moments, my feet touched the ground, and I fell to my knees, shaken by the near endless fall I had just experienced. I tried standing up shakily, but my legs gave way and I collapsed helplessly onto the ground. I looked around for the first time since I had entered the cavern.

It was true.

I was trapped in Tartarus.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Thanks for the reviews, I'm glad my first fanfic got such a good reaction. Without further ado, the 2nd chapter.**

* * *

**Chapter 2**

A piercing pain struck my head as I blinked my eyes open. A terrible headache gripped my head, and I grit my teeth. I shook off the piercing pain and looked at the sky. The dark rocks of the top of the cavern I had fallen into looked back at me, and I remembered the events that had led me to get trapped here, in Tartarus.

Clenching my fists in anger, I strained myself to stand up. For some reason, I was incredibly weak; I could hardly support my own weight, much less walk around or fight any monsters that would attack me.

As I stabilized myself, I recalled what I had learned above ground: the air of Tartarus was poisonous, and that mortals couldn't survive here without some sort of immortality or a cure. I grimaced at the pain shooting through my legs as I took a few steps towards a river in the distance, the air struggling to exit my lungs.

After a few minutes, my legs went numb and I was able to ignore the pain there for the moment. My lungs still burned as the toxic air crippled me incessantly, and my skin was beginning to get covered in welts.

I forced myself to keep going despite the horrid torture the air was inflicting me with, and the river began looming up in front of me. I squinted and saw with shock that it was a river of fire. I gasped and realized this was the River Phlegethon, the fabled river of fire that blazed through Tartarus.

As I gazed in awe at the stunning but terrifying river, a faint voice echoed in my head.

"_Perseus! It is I, your mother!"_

I straightened in shock. "_Mother? What happened to my memories? Who are you?"_

I heard a small sigh. "_Perseus, listen carefully, time is short. I was captured a couple years ago, and to save you I was forced to conceal your memories. Do not fret, they will return to you soon. Promise me that you won't come to free me when your memories return, you do not have the power necessary yet. I love you son."_

I felt a few tears trickle down my cheek. _"Mother, please tell me who you are. I will grow stronger and I will come free you."_

I heard a small chuckle in my mind before it suddenly stopped. "_Perseus, my captors are returning, you must hear this. I heard you are stuck in Tartarus, and as a mortal, you have already lasted incredibly long, a whole week already. To be immune to the toxic air, you must drink from the river of fire. Good bye for now son, I will try to contact you again soon."_

That shocked me; I had been unconscious for a week and I somehow survived the toxic air and was fortunate enough not to be attacked. I sensed my mother's presence leave my mind, which reminded me that I now knew my memories would soon return.

Remembering my mother's words about the Phlegethon, I clenched my fists, tensed my body, and began edging towards the river of fire. The intense heat from the stunning river tried to push me away, but I steeled my will and arrived at the bank. Kneeling down rapidly, I cupped my hands and drank some of the river.

Nothing could've prepared me for the sheer pain that coursed through my body. I felt like flames were licking the insides of my throat and esophagus, burning me alive from the inside. My throat felt pierced by thousands of burning needles, causing me to stumble and almost fall into the Phlegethon. Slowly, inexorably, the pain began to dim and my throat stopped burning. As the pain faded away, energy returned to my limbs, rejuvenating me. I stood up straight, taking deep breaths of the toxic air that no longer affected me, relishing the return of my powers and the feeling in my body.

I swirled my hand in the air and encircled myself with the shadows, further boosting my energy. I quickly checked the ring on my hand to make sure Anaklusmos was there, grinning when I saw its brilliant celestial bronze blade awaken in my grasp.

For the first time since I fell into Tartarus, hope was flowing through my veins. With my power returned to me, knowing my memories would join them soon, not even the Titans could stop me from escaping this pit.

I had been walking for several hours in the direction where I thought the Doors of Death were located. I had heard of stories of how the doors appeared occasionally in Tartarus, allowing reformed monsters to return above ground, and as far as I knew, that was the only place I could go to leave Tartarus.

As I walked rapidly in the direction of Tartarus' heart, I felt movement in the shadows. My eyes narrowed as I detected several powerful beings trying to sneak up on me in the shadows. From what I could sense, they were Titans. Walking like nothing was wrong, I willed Anaklusmos into being and caressed the beautiful blade, remembering Zoe smiling at me before she turned around to meet the hunt. I maintained the act that I didn't know the Titans were stalking me for a while before the path I was on opened up into an open plain, where no shadows were playing.

I scowled, realizing this was the opportunity the Titans had been waiting for. I couldn't draw upon my powers as effectively, and now they could easily neutralize me. I still harnessed my powers as I sensed night falling, strengthening me. I swirled my hand in the air, drawing the remaining shadows to encircle me protectively.

As I prepared, a laugh echoed across the plain.

"Foolish demigod, I do not know how you still live, but no matter. You cannot hope to defeat me, Hyperion, Titan of Light! Your shadows will fall before my infinite brilliance."

I gritted my teeth and turned, taking in the Titans standing in front of me with a quick glance. Hyperion, Perses, and Krios were arrayed against me, each wielding their weapon of choice. Hyperion was wearing brilliant golden armor that was dispelling my shadows, and his eyes flamed through his helm. His powerful gold sword was hanging lightly in his right hand, releasing brilliant light that blinded me temporarily. Krios was wearing pure black Stygian iron armor that sparkled with stars on it and wielded a massive Stygian iron blade. Perses had armor that looked like tectonic plates, moving inexorably as he stepped forward. His massive Stygian iron sword had red veins piercing through its blackness.

I frowned at the sight, backing up rapidly. There was no way I could take out two of the big four Titans and the most powerful of the minor Titans by myself in my element, much less down in Tartarus in a place with barely any shadows.

Hyperion smirked as I backed up, then unleashed his power and ignited himself with fire. Quick as a flash, he charged me with his golden sword swinging at me from the side. I ducked under his swing and tried to trip him as he ran past me, but the Titan leapt over my foot and twisted in mid-air, firing a bolt of pure light at me, blinding me. I swung my sword blindly at where I sensed the Titan was as he approached, and was rewarded with the resonating sound of two swords clashing.

Once again calling the shadows to encircle me, I blinked my eyes open to recover from the traumatizing light they had been inflicted with moments earlier. I began clashing earnestly with the Titan of Light, my instinctive training allowing me to match the powerful Titan blow for blow.

Slowly, I managed to get the Titan to turn around and force me back towards the path I had come, which I wanted to attain in order to harness more shadows. I grinned as I acted more tired than I felt, and after a few minutes of dodging or blocking Hyperion's blows with Anaklusmos, I fell weakly to the ground at the entrance of the path. The two other Titans had been watching the exchange the entire time, and I could see they were both impressed at the way I had been keeping up with the second strongest Titan there is.

I smirked inwardly at the thought of what I was about to do; the two Titans would be in awe and hopefully Hyperion would be out of commission, allowing me perhaps to escape. Hyperion strode forward leisurely, thinking he had me cornered.

"Well demigod, I must admit you fought well. However, you will burn for daring to defy the Titans," he roared. I smiled then held my hand up in his direction. The shadows surrounding us suddenly rushed out and chained the Titan of Light.

"What is the meaning of this!" he shouted, struggling to escape his shadowy bonds.

I smiled, "You underestimated me. Then again, everyone does."

Quick as a flash, I turned and sent the other shadows to trap the two watching Titans, who were petrified with surprise. Krios was instantly bound and forced up against the wall of the side of the path. Perses roared and slashed his Stygian sword at my shadows and cut them apart. Shocked, I rapidly ran towards him and swung at a chink in his tectonic armor on his side.

The Titan of Destruction smirked, "I will not lie; you are the most powerful demigod I have ever seen. You managed to bind two of the big four Titans after having held Hyperion off for several minutes!" My blade struck his armor and got stuck. "However, my powers are different! They channel destruction! Your blade cannot touch me!"

I backed up uncertainly, disarmed. How did my blade not affect him?

The Titan sneered at my terror and released a wall of force, throwing me back hard against the cliff, forcing me to break my control of the shadows binding the two other Titans. In a flash, Hyperion rushed over and punched me hard in the chest.

"Fool! You will pay for humiliating me!"

I grimaced in pain as the Titan repeatedly hit me, the air leaving me lungs each time. I slid down from my position and gasped for breath. Krios placed a hand on the enraged Titan of Light,

"Do not forget, he must be kept alive."

The Titan of Light stepped away, a look of disgust in his flaming eyes.

"Demigod, count yourself lucky that Kronos has other plans for you," he hissed angrily. "You would be dead if I wished it now."

I winced at the mention of Kronos; somehow I knew this was related to what Oceanus had told me above ground.

"There is no way I will allow Kronos to inhabit my body," I said faintly. "Kill me instead."

Perses grabbed me by the neck and threw me at the cliff side behind me, then strode forward and leaned down,

"I have been kept down here for too long. Once Kronos awakens, you will be his host, and we will have our revenge on those foolish Olympians. You have no choice in this matter."

I narrowed my eyes but asked a question that was still bothering me. "How were you unaffected by my sword?"

The Titan threw back his head and laughed, his tectonic armor heaving with his movement. He abruptly stopped and looked back at me,

"My armor is made of pure Tartaric magma, one of the sturdiest materials in existence. As a matter of fact, commonly used materials cannot affect it at all, most notably celestial bronze."

I absorbed this information, wondering if I could try to manipulate him into revealing what materials could break through his armor.

Perses smirked, "Fool! I am not an idiot, you cannot manipulate me!"

I drew back, remembering in a flash that the Titans could read my mind. I grimaced inwardly at my stupidity, and then focused on throwing up a shield around my mind like I did earlier. I grinned evilly as the Titan stepped back, anger showing in his eyes.

Krios stepped forward again, cutting off an angry retort by Perses.

"Enough Perses, we have wasted enough time here. Now that we have the demigod, we must follow the plan."

Hyperion strode forward and punched me a couple times again, then Perses swung his blade at me hilt first. The last thing I felt before the darkness enveloped me was my ring returning to my finger, signaling the continued presence of Anaklusmos.

I woke up feeling pain pervade every part of my body. I could feel something metallic tearing at the skin around my wrists and my ankles, and it felt like I was spread-eagled in the air. Blinking my eyes open, my eyes immediately took in the surroundings. I was being held in some sort of chamber that seemed to have no opening or exit. I was in pure darkness, but my eyes could see as well as they would during day thanks to my powers. I looked to the side at my wrists and noticed that I was cuffed. A metallic wristband was digging into my skin and was attached through a chain to a point near the ceiling on the wall. I glanced at my other wrist and was greeted with the exact same thing. I groaned in pain; the metal was extremely bothersome.

I took a quick look at my ankles and saw they were similarly bound, and were spread apart, each attached to a point on the floor. I grimaced and realized that I was indeed spread-eagled in the air, hanging thanks to my bindings.

A noise disturbed my musings, drawing my attention to the corner of the room. A door appeared and through it strode Hyperion, walking with an arrogant gait and glowing brilliant light that dispelled the total darkness that had been submerging the blank black room.

"Puny demigod, it took you long enough to wake up," he snarled. I raised my eyebrow in confusion, while throwing up the barrier around my mind immediately. The Titan of Light gritted his teeth and elaborated,

"You have been unconscious for several weeks since we captured you."

My jaw dropped as the Titan stood there calmly. But how?

"Despite you having somehow created that irritating barrier around your mind, I can tell you want to know how you were possibly unconscious for so long."

I narrowed my eyes and spat, "Tell me then, Hyperion."

The Titan smirked, "Since you asked so kindly, I suppose I can entrust you with this information. It is quite simple. After we brought you to our base of sorts, you were granted with partial immortality. That blessing added on to your injuries and energy used up caused you to go into a coma."

I gaped. There was simply nothing that could have prepared for me for that. I was now immortal like the Hunters of Artemis. I now had a much higher chance of escaping Tartarus, which reminded me that I had yet to understand why the Titans granted me this partial immortality.

Hyperion's booming laugh interrupted my train of thought and brought me back to reality.

"Well puny demigod, you seem to be thinking quite hard there! Why don't I enlighten you with some details that might spare your brain the strain. You were given this partial immortality because of the role you must play. In two thousand years, Kronos will finally be able to reform enough to begin planning our revenge on the Olympians. When he rises, we Titans will be strong enough to destroy Olympus and regain our rightful place as rulers."

The Titan smiled evilly before adding,

"And you are the key. You are the strongest demigod in existence, for reasons I don't even know. Despite my lack of information regarding your lineage, you are the one Kronos shall use as a host to rise at first before he can reform fully into his true form."

Hearing that for the third time, regardless what people may say, did not make me feel better in the slightest. The assumption that would do whatever they wanted was starting to seriously tick me off.

"You will return to the world in two thousand years, and the world will bow to us!" the Titan said gleefully. That's when I snapped. My eyes began glowing pure light as all the darkness in the room gathered around me like a hurricane. I could see the chains straining from their places attached to the walls. For the first time, I saw a flicker of fear pass through Hyperion's flaming orbs. I grinned at the sight as I absorbed more and more of the shadows, increasing the power of the hurricane and slamming the Titan of Light into the walls.

Hyperion was pinned against the wall, quite dazed, as he tried to use his powers over light to get rid of the shadows. The power gathering around me, however, was completely unaffected. I could sense the fear coming from Hyperion as he bellowed,

"This isn't how it's supposed to work! Those chains should've suppressed your demigod powers! Unless…"

Pure horror gripped the Titan, as he slipped to the side where the door was. Hyperion pressed his hand against the door and harnessed his powers over light in order to create a moment of distraction so he could pass through the door.

After the Titan left, I slumped over, drained of my power. I had just wielded more power than I ever had before, and it almost killed me, although it seemed to have done its job on the Titan. However, I could not get Hyperion's last words out of my mind. _Unless…_ Clearly I wasn't ordinary, although I should've realized it sooner. I wielded the shadows but not like a son of Hades. I suddenly understood that I wasn't truly wielding the shadows, but more so the darkness inside them. That explained why I could harness them even when they weren't really there, and also would explain how I could have bypassed the chains I was imprisoned in.

As I contemplated this new discovery, it came to me that I was stuck in Tartarus for the next _two thousand_ years. How was I supposed to survive through this situation?

A cold, faint laugh echoed through the chamber. _We meet at last Perseus_. My face paled to a sickly shade of white. Somehow, I knew exactly who this was. _I have heard tales of your power, and I must say, it interests me_. Sweat rolled down my face as I struggled to escape my bonds, to escape this dark presence that incited such fear in me. The voice chuckled audibly at my fear that it could somehow sense. _I can sense your aura and your fear young demigod. The largest part of me that is reforming lies below the chamber you are currently… how should I put this… _residing_ in. _With that, the remaining color in my face drained and I began writhing around earnestly. Once again, the cold laugh pervaded the chamber. _Speaking to you is draining the small remnants of my energy, but before we part, I intend you to know that as long as you are within this chamber, my domain of time protects you from having to succumb to primal necessities. As a small bonus, it accelerates time in this chamber so that our future can be here sooner. I will speak to you again Perseus, better be ready_.

A smirking face flashed through my mind, right before my head exploded with pain.

Scenes flashed through my mind as I shook my head, trying to shake off the pain. I saw a beautiful woman dressed in a pure black dress looking down at me lovingly in one scene, then I saw a bunch of dummies in front of me as they were getting slashed to bits in another. I suddenly realized that these must be my memories coming back to me.

The pain began wearing off after a few moments, leaving me to think about my memories. The beautiful woman I had seen must have been my mother, and the other scene was probably me training. The training would explain why I had such strong instinctive reflexes and how I could keep up with a Titan for a while.

My head slumped once more as the few memories I had regained engrained themselves in my mind. Despite the interesting new information, I was still nowhere in terms of who I was and how I was supposed to escape here.

The only thing I did know was that once I escaped, the Titans would pay for kidnapping me and would regret the moment they immortalized me.

It had been several months since I had been trapped in this chamber. Every day, some food appeared in front of me, intended to keep me alive. The Titans had, after one week, released me from my spread-eagled pose and merely chained me to the wall. In my free time, I practiced controlling the darkness in the shadows, attaining levels of mastery over the element I could not have dreamed of before.

Today, the Titans were planning to do something to me, since I overheard Hyperion whispering something about him enjoying the pain I would go through. This did not reassure me, but since I was exiting the chamber for the first time since I had been captured, I was eager to know what had happened outside.

I knew many years had passed since my capture above ground, since the chamber accelerated time within itself, and I was quite curious to know what happened to the Greek empire and the few hunters I had rescued and given to Artemis.

A noise in the corner called my attention, and three Titans stepped through the door. I narrowed my eyes; they were the same three Titans to have captured me initially, and I had not seen Perses since then. Said Titan stepped forward rapidly and snarled,

"Well demigod, it seems we meet again. Today you will experience pain like no other, and it will bring a smile to my face."

I smirked and decided to antagonize the Titan of Destruction,

"Long time no see Perses, I would say it is a pleasure to see you again, but you wouldn't want me lying?"

Perses clenched his fists and released a wall of force, slamming me into the wall of the chamber. In a few quick steps, the Titan grabbed my collar and smashed me into the wall again.

"Insolent fool! Once Kronos regains his form, I will enjoy draining the life out of you. Relish your life while it still exists."

He threw me at the wall on the other side of the chamber with full force, causing me to slump down in a painful heap, dazed from the impact. Hyperion walked over and slung me over his shoulder and strode over to the door, smirking at Perses,

"Let's go watch this puny demigod writhe in pain, shall we?"

The Titan of Destruction smiled evilly, and the three Titans left my chamber with me half conscious. We came out of the chamber into a long hallway that had many doors on each side. A massive double door loomed at the end of the passage, and had above it Orthrys written in Greek.

I frowned at this as the Titans strode rapidly through the hallway. They reached the double doors quickly and pushed it open, opening into a massive throne room. My jaw dropped as I took in the beauty of the throne room. It was clearly ancient, but the architecture was magnificent. Twelve massive thrones surrounded a beautifully decorated mural on the ground. I recognized the material instantly: the ground was made out of a stunningly crafted Stygian iron alloy, diluted enough to not affect people not related to the Underworld. Each throne was differently colored, but the largest throne at the end of the throne room was the most stunning. It was pure gold, with black lines similar to veins contrasting it sharply and spreading out through the sides of the the throne. The symbol of an hourglass was embedded above the throne, made out of a metal I couldn't recognize.

I had never seen such a sight in the entirety of my life. The throne room of Orthrys was the greatest architectural vestige I had the fortune to see, far outshining the structures I had seen during my wandering travels in Greece. The Pantheon could not compare to the stunning beauty of this room. Ornate designs flowed through the ground, while the walls depicted some of the Titans' greatest conquests. Behind the gold throne, there was a massive mural illustrating Kronos killing Ouranos.

I realized instantly that the gold throne was Kronos' throne, seeing as it sported his symbol as well as the fact that it towered over the rest of the thrones.

Hyperion scoffed, drawing me out of my trance. He was staring displeased at the contrast between his own throne and Kronos', clearly jealous of his younger brother. Krios ignored the Titan of Light and led the way out another door, which led us back out into Tartarus. I blinked a few times, remembering the horrendous environment surrounding me, then realized that the toxic air didn't affect me.

Krios answered my musings, "Your partial immortality prevents you from the effects of Tartarus, young demigod. Do not rejoice, however, as the pain you will soon endure will make you wish Tartarus' air was the only punishment you needed to go through."

I shuddered at these words, causing Hyperion to grin evilly at my fear,

The Titan of Light threw me on the ground and began dragging me towards a river I could see in the distance.

After a few minutes of walking, the Titans stopped and Hyperion kicked me unceremoniously.

"Puny demigod, it is time for you to face pain!"

I looked at the river and instantly froze in recognition. The River Styx stared back at me ominously, its black water swirling around, full of lost hopes and dreams. I realized instantly what the Titans intended to do, although I couldn't grasp why.

"You will bathe in the Styx so that your body will be able to host Kronos' soon," Perses said.

I tried to back away from the edge slowly when suddenly a voice I hadn't heard for a long time spoke in my mind. _My son, I believe in you. You can bathe in the Styx and use the blessing to escape. Remember to anchor yourself, your mortal point. Do not let go of it. Perseus, I give you my blessing._ Hope and power coursed through my veins once my mother spoke to me. I smiled and looked at the Titans, who were dumbfounded at my happiness.

"Well, it was nice knowing you."

I grinned and threw myself into the Styx. However, nothing could have prepared me for the pure pain that tore into my body. I felt like I was drowning in pure acid, the pain tearing my body apart. I felt myself sinking into the river, with the few memories of my short life flickering through my mind. I saw the wolf that attacked me, the Hunters of Artemis, the many criminals I brought to justice, Zoe. Then I saw nothing. Pure darkness encircled me, and the pain began to subside. _I must be dead_ I thought sadly. Suddenly, out of the darkness, the image of the beautiful woman appeared.

"Perseus, my son, remember what I told you. Focus on your mortal point, anchor yourself before it's too late!"

Her face showed obvious panic. I realized that my musings were true, she was my mother. I narrowed my eyes and focused on a well-defended part of my body, about four inches below my right armpit. The pain of the Styx roared back and began torturing me, flickering my focus. I fought to resist the pain, but before it could envelop me, I saw a hand. I looked further and saw my mother again. She gave me a sad smile,

"I know you can do this. Grab my hand!"

I steeled my will and forced myself to ignore the pain, then slowly, inexorably, raised my hand and grasped my mother's. In a flash, the river threw me out onto the bank, on the other side of where I dived in. The Titans looked at me in shock.

"How are you still alive? You've been in the river for two hours!"

I smirked and said, "Maybe because I am unique? It's time for me to get my revenge for you capturing me. Now that I'm invincible, good luck beating me."

The three Titans looked at each other in fear; they had clearly not anticipated me regaining all my energy and resisting them now that I had obtained the blessing of the Styx. I raised my hand and called all the darkness around me to surround my hand in a vortex of energy. Clenching my fist, I drew some of the darkness to surround me and form temporary armor, with the strongest part covering my Achilles spot.

Pulling out Anaklusmos, I slashed through the air and sent the shadows to bind the three Titans. Without waiting to see the results of my move, I turned and ran as fast I could, away from the river. Once again, my mother's voice spoke in my mind. _Perseus, to escape Tartarus, you must attain my palace. There, you can find a portal to the mortal world, the only one in Tartarus other than the Doors of Death_.

I rolled my eyes while running and replied. _Where is your palace?_

I heard a faint laugh. _Follow the trail of darkness, my son_. I felt her presence leave my mind and gritted my teeth in frustration. Why must I always be given riddles?

I looked more carefully at my surroundings as I slowed down, having put enough distance between myself and the Titans. My eyes widened as I saw a sliver of pure darkness hanging in the air, seemingly tracing a path to somewhere. In a flash, I understood that this was the trail of darkness my mother spoke of.

Narrowing my eyes, I began running alongside the trail, eager to escape Tartarus as soon as possible.

After several hours of running and having to fight off a few monsters, the trail of darkness ended at the edge of Tartarus. I looked down saw a massive palace, cloaked completely in darkness and radiating a familiar presence. This was the Mansion of Night. I looked around for a path to attain the palace, but there was nothing to allow me to get to it, as it was floating a hundred meters below me and was quite far away from the edge of Tartarus.

An idea struck me as I contemplated my options. I decided to harness the darkness surrounding the palace in order to transport myself down there. Feeling a familiar tug in my gut, I funneled the nearest shadows away from the top of the palace and formed a sort of slide down to the Mansion of Night. I smiled at the success of my idea, then stepped onto the slide and slid down to the palace.

I straightened myself after the impact and looked around quickly. Everything was pitch black in the palace, but it released an ancient power that seemed very familiar to me. My instincts took over and I ran rapidly through the maze of hallways before arriving before a massive set of double doors, even larger and more majestic than that of Orthrys' throne room.

I pushed the doors open hesitantly, unprepared for what might await me. It occurred to me that the palace had been completely empty as I ran through it, which I suspected had to do with the capture of my mother.

The doors opened dramatically, leading into an empty room. I frowned and strode over to the opposite side of the room and touched the wall experimentally. Instantly, a vortex of pure darkness formed in front of me. I felt my mother's presence touch my mind again. _Perseus, this is the portal. When you walk through it, you will return to the world above, but be prepared. Many years have passed since we were imprisoned. The world will differ greatly_. I nodded in acceptance, steeled my will, and took a step through the portal.

Instantly, my mind began pulsing with pain, as millions of scenes flashed through my head. Pain similar to the Styx gripped my head and I fell to the ground, screaming in pain. I rolled around, trying to numb the pure pain that was invading my mind, when the pain suddenly stopped.

I stopped shaking and opened my eyes again. I grasped the magnitude of the situation. I had escaped Tartarus and the pain I just went through brought back all my memories.

I touched my head to make sure this wasn't a dream.

I knew who I was. I was Perseus, son of Nyx, and I had escaped Tartarus. I will save my mother and I will get my revenge on the Titans.

Suddenly, my energy reserves drained out at last, and I stumbled in exhaustion. I had exerted far too much energy today, and I slipped into unconsciousness, falling awkwardly onto the forest ground.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N:** Once again, thanks for the reviews! To address xRinneandSharinx's question, the Titans don't know that he isn't a demigod yet. They know he's different, but at this point the primordials are supposed to be asleep or gone.

Here is chapter 3!

* * *

**Chapter 3**

A marvelous scent wafted around me, one I had not smelled in ages. The smell of the forest awakened me from my slumber. Rubbing my eyes open wearily, still affected by the enormous exertion of energy from yesterday and my months of imprisonment, I glanced up at the beautiful night sky.

Looking at the night sky instantly calmed me, slowing my breath. All my exhaustion seemed to seep out of me, and I felt completely reenergized. I sat up from my sleeping position on the ground and contemplated my surroundings.

I had appeared in a forest, luckily, but it did not look at all like what I was used to. I recalled the warning of my mother, that the world had changed greatly, but I did not expect to see the pure forest violated so.

I closed my eyes and thought about all the memories that had rushed back to me. Everything made sense now that my identity had been returned to me.

I was the son of a primordial, and not just any primordial: my mother was Nyx, one of the most powerful of the original gods. My childhood had been rather peaceful; I grew up in my mother's palace, the one I had left in Tartarus. From what I could remember, the palace used to be located in the sky, not in the pit. I lived there with my mother until I was five years old, when my training started.

None of my memories spoke of a father, but one man stood out among the rest. I used to treat him as a father figure, given my lack of one. He had been my main trainer, the one who taught me how to wield a sword so effectively.

My decade of training was quite impressive. In those ten years, I became a master wielder of the sword and the bow and arrow, while also being proficient at using other traditional weapons, such as spears, throwing knives, and daggers.

I also practiced a lot with my darkness powers, which explained why everything seemed so instinctual to me when I wandered ancient Greece. My mother taught me how to manipulate the shadows to my advantage thoroughly, and I could tell she had been proud of me.

One memory, however, struck me oddly.

_(Flashback)_

"_Perseus! Come! Your trainer wants to have a word," my mother called out to me. I sighed and got up from my meditative pose on my bed. I had trained for hours on end today, as my trainer showed me no mercy. We sword fought for several hours until I managed to defeat him for the first time, which I was obviously ridiculously excited about._

_Afterwards, we had an archery competition, trying to split as many arrows as possible on moving targets. Archery had long been one of my strong suits, and I bested my trainer rather easily, despite him attempting to cheat playfully near the end._

_I walked over to the training room of my mother's palace, exhausted from the day's events. My trainer was waiting for me, observing the arena with his back towards me. He appeared in his preferred form, a well-built thirty year old who seemed at the peak of his physical capabilities. His massive shoulders and proud posture exuded confidence, and power rolled off him in waves. He was dressed in casual golden armor._

_He was Chronus, Primordial of Time._

_Chronus turned away from the arena and smiled at me, gesturing for me to come over._

"_Well Perseus, you proved yourself beyond worthy today. You bested me in a sword fight, and humiliated me at archery. Your mastery of the fighting arts and your control of the darkness make you the most fearsome mortal warrior I have ever met."_

_My jaw dropped at the gushing praise. Chronus was never one to praise unreasonably; in fact, he often never distributed compliments, making this an even greater honor._

_The Primordial of Time grinned mischievously at me, "Perseus, you truly are the most skilled mortal warrior I have met, and it is my honor to have trained you."_

_I smiled genuinely and bowed in respect, "Master Chronus, it is my honor to have been trained by you, one of the best."_

_The primordial waved off the praise casually, although his face couldn't completely conceal his grin._

"_There is no longer anything I can train you for. However, before I retire back to my palace for some peace, after having trained you for the last decade, I'd like to give you a parting gift."_

_My eyes widened, and I tilted my head questioningly. Chronus smiled and said, "Perseus, I give you my blessing, I grant you power over time." _

_He raised his hand in my direction, and a golden glow enveloped me for a few moments. Once it dispersed, I felt a bit more powerful. I stood there, stunned, shocked, at what Chronus had granted me. Controlling time was one of the rarest and most powerful abilities, and he had entrusted me with it. Unable to control my emotions, I ran over and hugged him._

"_Thank you so much Master Chronus. I am honored to wield your element."_

_The primordial smiled at his young nephew and hugged him back, whispering,_

"_You are the first I can honestly say deserves it." He stepped back and snapped his fingers, making a mirror appear._

"_It has tweaked your appearance a bit, if you can notice."_

_I peered at the mirror and saw with slight shock that my eyes now had traces of gold mixed in their black irises._

"_Nephew, one thing you must know. The power of time is extremely powerful, but also very dangerous. You will not be able to use it for a while, as your body must adapt to the fact that it can control time. This dam will not be able to be unlocked for several years, but to unlock it, you must be in a life threatening situation. Then, it will trigger, and from then on you will be able to wield it like you do darkness."_

_I nodded my head, slightly disappointed that I wouldn't be able to harness time for a while. Despite this, I grinned at my uncle and thanked him one more time._

_(Flashback End)_

This was one of my last memories, before everything went black, before I reappeared randomly under that tree so many years ago. What confused me about the blessing of time was when it would trigger, seeing as above ground, decades had clearly gone by, and I had been in multiple life threatening situations. Maybe it couldn't unlock in Tartarus?

I shook away these thoughts and analyzed my options. I was stranded in a forest in a place I didn't know at all, with only one weapon: Anaklusmos. I no longer had a bow to pick off monsters long range. With my powerful scent for monsters, which I now knew was a result of my unique demi-primordial nature, I couldn't afford to fall into a bunch of close combat encounters.

As if hearing my thoughts, my mother's voice suddenly spoke in my mind.

_Perseus, this is the last time I'll be able to contact you for a while. I see you retrieved your memories, well done on escaping Tartarus; no mortal has lasted that long and survived._

I grinned appreciatively, but my mother continued in a more grave tone.

_Listen carefully now Perseus. My prison has dramatically drained my power, and guiding you out of Tartarus took a lot of my energy. I can only gift you with this bow that I hope will serve you well_. As she spoke, the shadows wrapped around near me and seemed to forge into a beautiful black bow, engraved with the sign of Nyx. Golden lines traced through the grip and the shadows seemed to steam off of it. I whistled at the majesty of the bow; it was clearly one of a kind and a true weapon, similar to my Anaklusmos.

_That bow is made of Tartaric obsidian, the most powerful material in the mortal world. It can only be mined in the very depths of Tartarus, where even the Titans refuse to go. It has an unlimited number of arrows that you can will to appear, all of which are made of the same obsidian. Finally, before we part for good, know that we are 2300 years in the future from when you were captured_. My mother's presence left my mind as my jaw dropped to the floor. I knew time had passed, but 2300 years was an incredible amount. Surely everyone I knew is dead; it saddened me that I wouldn't be able to meet the girls I brought to the hunt again. Despite their partial immortality, they couldn't've possibly survived that many battles.

A pang of regret shot through me as I thought about Zoe. The spark I felt when she touched my hand was still deeply embedded in me, despite the hopelessness of the situation. I walked over to the bow and picked it up. The bow itself was incredibly light, it seemed almost fragile. However, as I tested it by willing an arrow to appear and pulling it back, I realized instantly this was masterful craftsmanship. The bow launched arrows with an insane amount of force that one would never expect from a bow that light. I smiled and silently sent a prayer of thanks to Nyx for her marvelous gift.

As I admired my newest weapon, a massive roar interrupted my gaze. I quickly snapped my head back and groaned in exasperation. Merely a day out of Tartarus and the worst monsters already decided to haunt me. In front of me stood a massive hydra, with many, many heads. It was much larger than any hydra I faced back in Greece, and sported many more heads. In a flash, I realized that this wasn't just any hydra: this was the original, this was the Lernean hydra. I backed up slowly, knowing I had no plausible way of defeating the beast.

The hydra roared again and spat poison towards me. I dodged the spit and ducked behind a tree. The beast swung its tail and uprooted the tree, before five of its heads attacked me. I instantly willed Anaklusmos to life, blocking its heads with the flat of my blade. I knew that if I cut its heads, I would be in even worse trouble.

I finally saw that the hydra refused to give up on me, so I stopped backing up and ducked under its heads. Quick as a flash, I began hitting the heads closest to me with the hilt of my blade, trying to knock them out. However, this hydra was far too powerful to be felled by that. Its many heads encircled me, trapping me between its body and its heads with no place to escape to.

An idea suddenly came to me as a couple of the heads thrust at me. I ducked and sidestepped the two heads before channeling the power of the darkness. The beautiful night sky powered me even further as I summoned all the shadows in the nearby forest. Rapidly, I motioned the shadows to envelop all of the beast's heads.

The many heads of the hydra struggled against the chokehold I had inflicted on them, but the sheer power of the beast was forcing all my energy to drain as I fought to maintain the shadows. The hydra thrashed around violently as I used all my energy to tighten the hold and end this fight.

Slowly, inexorably, the hydra's movement began to slow. Some of its heads collapsed, dead from suffocation, with no heads replacing them. I smiled as it stopped struggling, more of its heads dropping every second now.

Eventually, after ten minutes of maintaining the shadowy choke hold, the hydra lay dead in front of me. I fell to my hands and knees in sheer exhaustion. Controlling the shadows so much and for so long to restrict such a strong beast completely drained me, despite the night sky clearly trying to heal me. I let myself fall back onto the ground and stare at the sky as the Lernean hydra evaporated into the familiar golden dust.

I glanced over at where the hydra had been killed and noticed a spoil of war. I picked myself up wearily and stumbled over to it, noting that it was a vial of the Lernean hydra's poisonous blood. I slid it into my pocket, knowing that that powerful poison might come in handy some day.

I lay back down on the ground, hoping to catch some much needed sleep. Unfortunately, today was not my lucky day.

* * *

As I watched the night sky pass over me happily, I sensed a few monsters near me, hiding in the shadows. I tried to stand and attack them, but the fight with the hydra took all of my powers, and I could hardly stand steadily. I tried teleporting out of the sticky situation, but then realized my powers were not replenished enough to do something so complex.

I willed my mother's gift, the bow, into existence. The shadows quickly dissipated to reveal the stunning bow in my grasp. I raised it and fired a few arrows towards the monsters. My archery skills paid off as I was rewarded with a couple roars of pain and evaporating gold dust. Just as I relaxed a bit, having picked off a hellhound and a dracanae, a Cyclops stepped out of the shadows.

I cursed loudly and tried to fire another arrow when suddenly a silver arrow pierced the head of the Cyclops. It shouted in anger and dissipated into a cloud of golden dust. Seconds later, a rain of silver arrows paraded down on the remaining hidden monsters, killing them all. A few minutes afterwards, a group of girls wearing silver hunting clothes stepped out of the forest. A thirteen year old girl with stunning silver eyes and lush auburn hair stepped ahead of the group alongside another, older girl who seemed around sixteen years old. The older girl had long, silky black hair. Her skin was a beautiful tan color and her eyes were a smoldering black, similar to volcanic rocks. On her hair was a silver tiara that completed her air of royalty.

I recognized her instantly.

Zoe.

Still exhausted from my earlier clash, I got up shakily, then bowed to the thirteen year old, making sure my hair covered my eyes. The months stuck in Tartarus caused my hair to grow out wildly, and I looked a lot like a caveman now.

"Lady Artemis, it is an honor to see you here. I thank you for your aid; I was too tired to take on these monsters after my fight earlier today, and you Hunters saved my life."

The goddess was clearly taken aback by the fact that I could recognize her, then by the fact that I admitted that they saved my life. Her eyes narrowed suspiciously,

"Who are you boy?"

I chuckled lightly, "My name is of no importance, I am just a humble demigod wandering the forest. By the way, could you tell me what year this is. I have been out of the loop for quite some time."

The goddess once again seemed stunned, losing her composure for a moment. Her eyes flashed and a cold gaze graced her face again.

"Do not mock me boy! No demigod is wandering alone during these times! You are clearly a Greek, why are you not fighting alongside your brethren?"

My eyes widened slightly and I bowed my head in respect again in order to gain her favor.

"Lady Artemis, please forgive my lack of knowledge, but I swear on the River Styx that I do not know anything about a war nor do I know what year this is." The rumble of thunder echoed after my oath, sealing my words as the truth. "I merely ask for some information."

The hunters all looked shocked as they looked at each other, then glared back at me suspiciously. Artemis was clearly beyond taken aback. A thoughtful look flitted across her face before she narrowed her eyes.

"Boy, there is a civil war going on! The Romans have been fighting the Greeks for several years now!"

My jaw dropped, "What – who are 'Romans' and what do they have against Greeks? Also, can someone tell me what year this is?!"

The hunters gasped at my words.

"Did I say something wrong?" I asked nervously, looking at the shocked faces. Artemis strode forward angrily and grabbed my arm.

"Enough games boy, I do not want to hear any more of your lies. I will take you to the rest of the Greek gods and there we will decide what to do with you."

Horror flashed through my eyes as I realized the potential devastating results of me going to Olympus, especially now that I knew I was a demi primordial. An idea suddenly popped into my mind.

"Lady Artemis, if I may, I have an alternative that may – how can I put this – _interest_ you. I propose an archery contest: if you emerge victorious, I will accompany you peacefully to Olympus, while if I win, you will allow me to leave equally peacefully. What say you?"

Zoe sneered, "Arrogant boy, there is no way you can defeat milady. Just turn yourself in before you embarrass yourself."

A small smile tugged at the side of my mouth; I was actually looking forward to matching up my skills against one who I knew was the greatest archer in the world. It did, however, irritate me that no one bothered to inform me of the year we were in, or who these "Romans" were.

Artemis hesitated for a moment before grinning evilly.

"Very well boy, you shall have your wish. We will shoot moving targets, a hundred arrows. The one with the most bulls-eyes wins."

I chuckled and inclined my head in acknowledgment, "Thank you for accepting my humble proposal."

The goddess seemed quite annoyed at my use of traditional formalities, causing me to smirk inwardly. If I could throw her off her game, then my chances of leaving here were much higher.

We walked back towards the hunters, who had set up a series of moving targets that seemed to hover by themselves and move randomly. During my conversation, a lot of my energy had returned, and now dawn was breaking out overhead.

Artemis raised her hand and her bow appeared in her hands. The goddess glanced over at me curiously.

"Where is your bow, boy?"

I smiled in response and held out my own hand, willing my bow to appear. The shadows swirled around my hand momentarily before parting, revealing the exquisite bow my mother gifted me.

The hunters gasped at the sight of my magnificent bow, while Artemis looked mildly impressed. I glanced at Zoe quickly and noticed a small flicker of recognition that was quickly extinguished. I sighed in relief; I did not want anyone to realize that a random "demigod" from ancient Greece had somehow survived to the present.

The targets began moving as both of us began firing at incredibly high speeds. Arrows flashed through the light cast by the rising sun, silver and black arrows peppering the moving targets precisely and rapidly. I decided to up the ante and began shooting multiple arrows at the same time, aiming at different bulls-eyes. I noticed Artemis' eyes narrow as she adopted my strategy as well.

We were both practically equally matched, and I could feel an aura of surprise coming from all the hunters and Artemis. I smiled slightly as I began counting down to my last arrow. To my surprise, I saw Artemis glance at me in shock at my abilities and misfire her last one. My eyes widened: this was a chance for me to claim the title of greatest archer, even though it was through questionable means.

I breathed in as the goddess asked me angrily, "What are you waiting for boy? You proved your point, don't dare rub it in!"

I exhaled and turned to her, "I wouldn't dream of it."

With a mischievous grin, I misfired my last arrow on purpose, similar to what she did.

"Now your pride can rest easy; we tied, neither of us get what we want."

I winked at her, pulled out Anaklusmos, and raised it to the heavens, calling the shadows to take me away from here, as I still didn't have the energy to teleport. Out of the corner of my eyes, I saw Zoe's eyes widen in shock as she saw my blade.

In a flash, I realized my mistake. _Stupid, stupid, stupid!_ I thought angrily at myself. The lieutenant of the hunters stepped forward rapidly.

"Where did you get that blade, boy?" she hissed furiously. I lowered the blade and rubbed the back of my neck sheepishly.

"Will you let me go if I tell you it was a gift?"

She stepped back, her eyes flashing with shock, then sadness, then rage, and an emotion I couldn't recognize.

"Don't lie, boy. The true wielder of that blade lived millennia ago, tell me how you got it."

I gasped in surprise. While only half a year seemed to have passed in that chamber in Tartarus, millennia had passed above ground! That explained who these "Romans" would be, and why everything looked different. My eyes narrowed as I realized that meant that my mother had also been imprisoned for millennia.

"Uh… can someone please tell me what year this is?"

One of the hunters glared at me in disgust, "It is the year 1865 A.D., lying scum."

I stepped back, absorbing this information.

"What happened to the great Greek city-states? Are they still standing?" I pressed. Artemis' eyes widened in shock as she began piecing together the situation. She walked forward in front of Zoe and looked at me oddly.

"You're not from this time, are you?"

I grinned cheekily at her, "Indeed, the last time I was above ground, the Greek city-states were at their peak, and demigods walked the earth freely."

The hunters all gaped at me when Zoe suddenly walked up and punched me hard in the stomach. I crumpled to the ground, gasping for air. She grabbed my collar and yanked me up, glaring straight into my eyes.

"Where. Did. You. Get. That. Sword?"

I leaned up to her ear and whispered softly, "You gave it to me, Zoe Nightshade."

Her eyes flew open and she let go of me, staggering several steps back.

"How are you still alive?"

"Long story," I said. "I told you we would see each other again."

Artemis looked from me to Zoe and back again, before inquiring with a dangerous edge to her voice, "You two know each other?"

Zoe looked away, a slight pink tinging her beautiful cheeks. I bowed to the goddess again, attempting to use flattery.

"Lady Artemis, I once encountered Zoe when she was – ah… how can I say this – in a fix. I helped her out, then we parted our ways."

Artemis looked at Zoe questioningly, to which she nodded.

"His help was invaluable, which is why I gifted him with my blade, imbued with my immortal power. If I recall, this occurred around 2300 years ago."

I flashed a wide smile at the hunt, Zoe, and Artemis.

"Well Zoe, it was nice seeing you. Lady Artemis, maybe I can defeat you someday. But now, duty calls! The battlefield awaits me, wish me luck!" I smirked at their stunned faces as they struggled to understand how I could speak to a group of man-hating girls so casually before teleporting away from their location.

I reappeared in a clearing which seemed well distanced from the hunters, about fifty miles north of where I had been. To my surprise, I heard a lot of yells and screaming, as well as the familiar sound of weapons clashing, close by. I slinked through the woods as quietly as I could, constantly manipulating the shadows to cover me in case a situation occurred. I heard the sounds of battle get louder as I approached it.

I hid behind a tree and peered behind it. A stunning sight looked back at me. Hundreds of warriors were fighting each other, often spear to spear. Some of the warriors wielded swords and were slicing through each other brutally. Around half the warriors were clad in golden armor and were holding rectangular shields and spears, packed into a tight formation that prevented the other warriors, who were wearing celestial bronze armor and circular shields, from piercing their lines.

The golden armored beings were in a well-organized phalanx formation and were beginning to push the celestial bronze warriors back. In a flash, I recognized the traditional Greek armor they were wearing. I realized this must be one of the battles of the civil war Artemis told me about. Immediately, my blood boiled with rage at the golden armored warriors, the Romans. My ties to Greece ran deep, and an old emotion arose in me as I contemplated my fellow brethren.

As I debated entering the fight or not, I noticed one of the Greek warriors raise his hand. In shock, I saw lightning flash above as a bolt struck down from the sky. The bolt hit the leader of the Roman phalanx and instantly killed the man. Somehow, the lightning sparkled and seemed to pass through the air and began frying the rest of the men in the phalanx. I raised an eyebrow in confusion before seeing a man standing next to the Greek warrior who seemed to be in deep concentration.

I realized instantly that the man was probably a son of Poseidon and was using the water in the air to channel the lightning produced by the son of Zeus. I nodded appreciatively, impressed by the power and cooperation of the duo. In the old days, a child of the Big Three would never even think of working with another child of the Big Three. I guess 2300 years and war does things to people. As I contemplated the situation, I saw one of the remaining Roman warriors suddenly grab his sword.

The sword was pure Stygian iron, and the warrior stabbed it into the ground. Instantly, a crack formed in the ground and around two hundred skeletal warriors emerged from the ground. I gasped, realizing they were all the victims of this battle. This meant that the Roman warrior was a son of Hades; I could not understand why he would ever ally against his brethren. I narrowed my eyes and decided to make an entrance worthy of Zeus and finally get some answers.

I teleported to a point fifty meters above the center of the battlefield, then while falling, called the shadows to encircle me and create my armor. A few seconds later, I smashed into the ground, releasing a wall of force that knocked both armies away. The traitorous son of Hades' eyes widened, while I sensed fear emanate from the sons of Poseidon and Zeus. I smirked and strode forward towards the son of Hades.

The demigod panicked and attempted to shadow travel behind me to catch me off-guard, but since I was a demi primordial, son of Nyx, I easily paralyzed the shadow and trapped him between the two shadows, with his head and upper body stuck behind me and his feet in front of me. I laughed at the look of horror on the traitor's face.

"Son of Hades, why have you betrayed your Greek brethren?" I inquired.

The traitor narrowed his eyes and spat, "I am a Roman! A son of Pluto! Bow before me, puny demigod."

My eyes widened in shock. I immediately brought back my poker face and smirked at him, "Bow to a son of Pluto who can't even control the shadows? You are disgraceful."

I turned away from him and willed Anaklusmos into my hand. The majestic celestial bronze sword glowed with power, as both the Greeks and the Romans backed away from my weapon. Quick as lightning, I attacked the legions of undead Roman warriors. Thanks to the blessing of the Styx and my returned memories, I tore through them with ease. Anaklusmos was an arc of destruction, ripping the skeletal demigods apart. I slashed and hacked my way through them rapidly, their swords bouncing off my armor. I decapitated one warrior before spinning around to kick one that had been sneaking up behind me. Suddenly, I felt a powerful blow on my neck.

I stumbled under the power of the blow, then turned around. In front of me stood a son of Ares, dressed in Roman armor, staring at the remains of his shattered sword on the ground. I grinned evilly and lunged towards him, stabbing him in the chest. The demigod stumbled back as I ripped my sword out and slashed his neck. Blood gushed out of the tear in his throat and the demigod crumpled before me, the life leaving his eyes.

"Romans, I would advise you to leave this place. The Greeks won this battle, begone!" I yelled angrily at the invaders.

"Watch out!" I heard a shout from behind me. Too late I heard the swinging of a sword at my side, about to hit my Achilles point. Suddenly, an arrow came out of nowhere and deflected the sword, causing it to only bounce off my armor. I immediately swung Anaklusmos around and severed the attacker's arm. He let out a scream of pain as I plunged my sword through his heart.

After pulling my sword out of the demigod's body, I looked over at where the arrow came from and smiled when I saw Zoe leaning against a tree. The Roman forces had escaped after the attempt on my life, and the Greeks were tending to their wounded. I walked over to the hunter and asked,

"Where are the rest of the hunters and Artemis?"

She looked away, "They are hunting a pack of hellhounds a few miles away from here. More important, however, is how you are still alive, Perseus."

I sighed and gestured for her to walk with me into the forest. The Greeks stared at us in surprise, clearly shocked at seeing the lieutenant of the hunters converse with a man, one who they had never seen before.

We walked for a few minutes before I stopped. Using my powers, I scanned the nearby shadows for any eavesdroppers. After making sure this conversation was confidential, I turned back to Zoe.

"Some of what I'm about to tell you may seem impossible, but I ask you to trust me. I also need you to swear on the River Styx not to tell anyone else about what I tell you today unless I reveal it."

She looked at me quizzically, then nodded, "Very well Perseus, I swear to your terms."

A loud boom of thunder sealed the oath, which I took as my cue to begin explaining,

"Immediately after I took you to the hunters, I went to a nearby lake to drink some water. However, I was attacked by Oceanus and two other Titans. Long story short, we fought, I was defeated, they threw me in Tartarus."

Zoe's eyes widened in shock, then she shook in rage for a moment before regaining her composure.

"How did you get out?"

I quickly summarized what happened in regards to my unconsciousness, my fight with the three Titans, then my imprisonment in the chamber with Kronos. At this she stopped me and looked quite fearful.

"Perseus, are you sure this is true? If Kronos is rising, we must warn the Olympians."

I grabbed her shoulders gently and shook my head, "No Zoe, no one must know of my existence or of my time in Tartarus."

I looked down sadly, "When I left Tartarus, my memories returned to me."

She glanced at me sympathetically, "I'm happy for you Perseus, but why must you remain hidden."

I sighed and steeled myself for a potentially violent reaction. I didn't know what she would think of my heritage.

"Listen, Zoe. I'm not actually a demigod. I – I'm a demi primordial. My mother is Nyx, Primordial of the Night," I whispered hesitantly. Zoe looked at me with a look of massive surprise, then to my complete and utter shock, she hugged me tightly. I blushed crimson red before I relaxed and hugged her back for a few moments, enjoying myself before she pulled out.

"Don't worry Perseus, I know how it feels to be discriminated because of your parents. After all, my father is Atlas, the Titan General," she spat bitterly. "That does explain the ridiculous aura of power you displayed so long ago when you saved me, and then the way you tore through the Roman army today."

I grinned at her, "To be honest, today was mostly due to my Styx blessing, but if it's that notable, I will have to learn to conceal my aura."

"Yeah, definitely," Zoe said.

"By the way, Zoe, before you return to your hunters, can you please tell me who the Romans are?"

She smiled a brilliant smile that dazzled me for a few moments. I shook myself out of my stupor in the fear I might get caught staring at her.

"I guess your time in Tartarus really has you out of the loop."

"Yeah… I really want to get revenge on them for taking my life away," I looked away sadly. "I honestly am not interested in the whole immortality spiel. To be completely honest, living my life out back in Greece appeals to me much more."

Zoe laughed, a beautiful, tingle-inducing sound that brought up a spark I hadn't felt since she touched my hand when I saved her. What are you doing Perseus? She is a hunter, and has been for over two thousand years! I thought angrily to myself.

Meanwhile, Zoe quickly gave me a quick summary of the downfall of Greece, the rise of Rome, and how the Romans adopted the Greek gods and changed their aspects slightly. She seemed not to like the Romans much, which I could completely sympathize with. We were both Greeks at heart, and those usurpers disgusted me. Zoe brought me up to date with recent events, explaining the mortal war and how the Roman demigods actually started the bloody conflict.

"You know, Perseus, with your one sided victory today, you might just have put an end to the conflict. I doubt any Roman would want to challenge the Greeks if rumors of you spread around. I already heard what some of the Greeks were saying before we came here," she said. "Your Styx blessing scares them and the way you tore through the Romans, as well as the son of Pluto. They're calling you 'Destroyer'."

I laughed, "That's ironic. My name, Perseus, means destroyer in ancient Greek. I guess they haven't lost their wits."

She smiled radiantly at me before standing up, "Perseus, despite you being a male, I will never forget what you did for me so long ago. I can't express how happy I am to see you again. If you ever need a place to stay, I'll make sure the hunt welcomes you."

I stood up as well and nodded, "Thanks Zoe, it was great seeing you too. My time in Tartarus has left me with no one else above ground. I guess I'll just wander around, learning about what happened during the last few millennia."

She nodded and began walking away, raising her hand in a small wave to say good-bye. I grinned at her retreating figure, then turned around. I could return to the Greeks and celebrate our victory, but then I would have to show myself to the gods. Instead, I decided to go research about the history I missed while imprisoned in the pit. I knew that Kronos would begin rising soon, and that when that moment came, I had to be ready. Before leaving, I chose to drop by the Greek camp to make sure everything was alright.

As I approached the clearing, I sensed very powerful auras coming from the Greek camp, which could only be emitted by a god. I quickly concealed myself behind a tree in the shadows and peered around the tree. There were four gods standing over the Greek demigods. I recognized Zeus, Hera, Poseidon, and Hecate. The Greek demigods were all in some sort of trance, and it looked like Hecate was casting a spell. I listened carefully and caught some parts of it.

"_You will… this war… the other camp… forget them…_"

I realized suddenly that the gods were erasing their memories of the war for some reason. Horror struck, I thought they found out about me. I began backing up slowly away from the clearing when suddenly Hecate turned and looked straight at me in the eyes. Immediately, I felt myself losing control of my body as I fell into a similar trance as the Greeks. Before slipping away into the darkness yet again, I understood in a flash that they must be erasing the memories of the Romans.

My eyes were closing as Hecate began striding towards me, when suddenly something in me snapped. My eyes flew open as power suddenly coursed through my veins. Instantly, Hecate's spell stopped acting on me. The gold traces in my irises shot into my pupils, coloring them pure gold. I felt a slight tremor in the air before my energy began draining rapidly. I had absolutely no idea what was going; only my willpower was keeping me conscious.

Suddenly, in front of me, a portal appeared and a familiar thirty year old man stepped out. He looked around at the situation with a worried look, then he snapped his fingers. My energy instantly stopped draining, and I slumped to the ground, exhausted. After breathing hard for a few minutes, I looked up and recognized the man.

"Master – Master Chronus! It's been so long!"

I shakily got to my feet and bowed in the primordial's direction. Chronus smiled at me as he walked over and hugged me.

"Perseus, I'm glad to see you regained your memories."

I looked at him strangely, "Had you been watching me during my time in ancient Greece?"

The primordial laughed, "Of course! I had to keep track of my favorite nephew, especially if he had forgotten his training."

I smiled then asked, "Chronus, why exactly have you come now? It isn't that I don't appreciate your presence, it's just that I don't understand."

Chronus merely smirked, "Are you trying to say you haven't noticed that we've been holding a conversation this long with four gods just frozen there?"

I blushed before looking over at the gods, who were indeed frozen in place. Even the leaves on the trees weren't rustling. I turned back to the primordial of time, a look of realization spreading across my face.

"Oh! You saved me by stopping time!" I said. Chronus shook his head patiently.

"Perseus, do you really mean that you didn't realize that you were the one who froze the gods initially? That power that rushed through you, your energy draining? Perseus, you finally unlocked the blessing I had bestowed on you so long ago."

I blinked several times, then stared at my former trainer in shock.

"Are you saying I can manipulate time now?"

"No, you can't control it yet due to time being one of the most unique and hard to master powers. You may be able to use it instinctively, but in order to manipulate it like I do, or like Kronos does, you need to train," Chronus explained.

"Ah! I understand now. I take it you came to train me?" I asked.

Chronus grinned, "Yep, you get your old trainer back. Now, Perseus, I will take you to my domain, where you will train until you have mastered everything there is with time."

"Excellent, when do we start?" I inquired eagerly.

An evil smile lit up the primordial's face, "Immediately."

The embodiment of time created another portal similar to the one he arrived in, then gestured for me to enter it. I nodded and walked forward towards the portal. As I passed through it, Chronus snapped his fingers twice, first removing Hecate's memories of seeing me escape, then releasing the time spell as he himself stepped through the portal.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4****  
**

I closed my eyes, feeling the stream of time flow around me. The automaton charged me, swinging its two blades wildly. My eyes flashed open, pupils glowing pure gold, as I froze the automaton's leg in time, causing the machine to fall awkwardly. The army of automatons ranged behind it stopped waiting and began rushing towards me. This time, I willed all the automatons to freeze in time.

They all stopped moving, and I grinned at my handiwork. I strode towards the fallen automaton and sliced its head off with Anaklusmos. Unlike the first time I froze time, this action barely affected my energy. I turned back to the frozen army of automatons and released them from the time spell, before immediately concentrating and accelerating the passage of time around the machines. Before long, the automatons eroded and crumbled into dust.

The sound of clapping sounded behind me. I smiled and turned to see Chronus walk over towards me grinning.

"Well Perseus, you have improved tremendously; your control over time is, for a non-deity, flawless. You've learned everything you can from me, it's time for you to return to Earth so you can train even more before facing your destiny."

I nodded, "I am ready to return, Master Chronus."

Chronus waved his hand, forming a glowing golden portal at the edge of the arena I had been training in.

"Perseus, I must warn you. Despite your mastery over time, you still aren't ready to free your mother. Do not fear, however, as she is safe for the time being."

My eyes stung at the mention of my captured mother, but I merely nodded in acknowledgment, "I won't let you down."

He smiled, "I know you won't Perseus. Now go, explore the world."

I glanced one last time at the golden palace that had been my home and training ground for the past hundred years. It had taken several years before I was able to freeze time over a large environment such as when my powers were first unlocked. It took decades before I managed to do so without passing out due to overuse of it. However, the years of training paid off, and now I could control time easily, almost as easily as darkness.

The portal transported me to a location that looked surprisingly familiar: the forest in which I fought against the Romans so many years ago. However, the forest had changed. No longer did it look untouched by mortals. I could see remains of some mortal objects dotting the clearing that once hosted a bloody battle.

During my time off training with Chronus, I had taken it upon myself to learn everything about the world since I had been taken by the Titans millennia ago. I now knew exactly who the Romans were, how much the world had modernized, and how Olympus had moved to the new continent: America.

It still awed me that I had participated in the deciding battle of the American Civil War, and arguably was the cause of the Greek victory. I learned later from Chronus that the gods erased all traces of the opposing demigod groups from each other's minds in order to avoid bloodshed as had happened in the Civil War. Furthermore, it prevented conflicts in the gods' personalities and consequently less conflicts in Olympus itself.

Remembering Chronus' advice to explore the world in order to prepare myself for my destiny, I shook myself out of my deep thoughts and began walking away from the clearing, planning to find a city and begin my travels from there.

* * *

**(43 years later)**

After many, many years of traveling, I had finally returned to America. I had traveled through Canada in order to evade the gods, but Chronus had contacted me a few days before in order to tell me that soon, it was time to reveal myself to the gods, as they would need my aid in the clash against Kronos.

That was how I ended in a forest in terrible weather, sleet and snow pouring down from the sky, threatening to strand me and freeze me to death.

I trudged grudgingly through the snowy forest, hoping to find some sort of shelter, as this weather was far too much for me to deal with. It was easily the most brutal snowstorm I had ever seen.

I glanced up every few moments, trying to look for a building, when I spotted several lights not very far from where I was. A smile played across my lips as I pictured the warm interior of a building, and I accelerated my pace, eager to get to the warmth. The forest began thinning when I heard shouting up ahead. Looking up, I saw a helicopter just hovering in the air. I frowned and slowed down, not willing to barge into a potentially thick situation.

Suddenly, the familiar sound of bullets tore through the night air, clearly coming from the helicopter. I heard more shouts, then a sound I recognized very well pierced the air: Artemis' hunting horn. Surprised, I edged behind a tree and glanced into the clearing where the commotion was happening. The clearing was massive, with a large building that looked like an imposing castle on one side. A few hundred meters ahead of the building, a cliff dropped off the side of the forest into the ocean. Near the cliff, I spotted five figures, two of them lying down on the ground, another two standing in front of them in a defensive position, and the last figure facing them.

I immediately recognized the last figure, given away notably by its tail. It was the manticore, which meant that the other four figures were probably unfortunate demigods. As I debated entering the conflict, a silver arrow flew through the air and stuck in the manticore's shoulders. The monster bellowed in pain as a familiar group of silver wearing girls burst into the clearing. Two girls stepped forward, and I grinned as I recognized Zoe and Artemis.

"Permission to kill, milady?" asked Zoe. I groaned at their formalities, which I could see was about to cost them. The manticore took advantage of the short delay to grab two figures on the ground behind him I hadn't seen until now.

"Fools! I have my targets! You have lost!" the manticore cackled arrogantly before rushing towards the cliff. Artemis' eyes narrowed,

"Kill it."

Zoe immediately fired several arrows into the beast's retreating back, knocking it off its feet. The manticore roared in anger and raised its tail, firing a series of spikes at Zoe, who ducked rapidly to avoid them. The monster got up and began launching spikes incessantly at the hunters, who were forced to duck and roll to avoid the shots. Artemis clenched her fists.

"Enough! I will kill you myself for threatening my hunters."

She sprung forward, hunting knives out, and began slashing at the monster, who stumbled back and dropped the two figures, bellowing in pain. Artemis maintained the pressure, forcing the monster onto the ground before twirling one hunting knife and cutting off its tail. The manticore screamed before Artemis stabbed her other knife into its throat, cutting its shriek of pain abruptly as it burst into a cloud of golden dust.

The four figures I saw initially were now all on the ground, seemingly unconscious. As Artemis finished off the manticore, the helicopter I saw initially had moved closer to the four figures. I gasped, realizing their intentions. Just as they fired the first bullets, I froze the helicopter in time. I grinned, before realizing that I shouldn't've revealed my time powers so soon. I quickly covered it up by solidifying the darkness around the helicopter and then crushing it in the air before striding out confidently into the clearing.

All the hunters gaped at me as I walked over to the four fallen figures and pulled out pieces of ambrosia that I had in my pack, forcing them to eat it. Once I saw them begin to come to, I turned to Artemis, who was glaring at me, and bowed.

"Lady Artemis, what a pleasant surprise."

The goddess' eyes narrowed, "Unfortunately, boy, I cannot say the same."

I grinned, "Cheer up, you didn't lose that competition."

The hunters who hadn't been there when I challenged Artemis to an archery contest just glanced at Artemis questioningly, who was getting more and more angered.

"Where have you been all these years boy? It was foolish to show yourself to me, I will have to take you to Olympus."

"Oh, I've just been wandering around. And actually, I was coming down to visit Olympus myself, so I would appreciate your aid in getting there faster. It really does take a lot to survive in the wilderness."

The four figures along with the two the manticore tried to kidnap were now staring at me in shock, clearly stunned at what looked like a seventeen year old boy talking casually with the man-hating goddess Artemis.

Zoe stepped forward and I flashed her a small smile.

"Enough playing around Perseus, what do you want?" she said with a bemused expression.

"I did not lie to Lady Artemis, I truly intend to go to Olympus."

Her expression immediately turned to one of shock, before she regained her composure.

"Why?"

I looked at her with a grave expression on my face, "It is finally happening."

Zoe gasped loudly, instantly understanding the threat I was referring to. Artemis looked critically at her then glared angrily at me,

"Have you been in contact with my lieutenant, boy?"

I grinned cheekily, "Nope. Not since we saw each other during the civil war. Are you up for another contest Lady?"

The goddess turned away, ignoring my question pointedly before motioning to Zoe to follow her. Zoe glanced back apologetically at me. Artemis walked back towards the forest, pausing a moment by the multiple fallen demigods. She knelt next to a young girl, who seemed around twelve years old, and began talking to her. I knew she was offering her a place in the hunt, which didn't really concern me.

The rest of the figures had finally healed and were gaping at me. One of them stood up and strode confidently towards me.

"Who are you demigod? I have never seen you before."

I quickly took in his appearance, noting his black hair and striking sea-green eyes.

"Ah… A son of Poseidon. Once more, the gods fail to keep it in their pants. To be honest I'm surprised it took this long for them to break the oath," I said casually. "As for who I am, that is none of your business."

Artemis, who had been walking back towards the hunter campsite along with the hunters, Zoe, and the new girl she had picked up, froze before turning back to watch my conversation. She looked interested and slightly impressed at what I had said. I flashed her a small smile before turning back to the son of Poseidon, who was seething in rage.

"Do not disrespect the gods! You have no right to do so! Tell me who you are before I kill you!"

Another of the recovered demigods, a curly-haired blond with striking gray eyes, shouted at the son of Poseidon,

"James! Control your temper! He is clearly not an enemy."

I nodded appreciatively towards the demigod, whose traits marked her clearly as a daughter of Athena. My gaze fell upon the last two figures. One of them was clearly a satyr, defined by his shaggy legs ending in hoofs. The satyr was still unconscious and was muttering gibberish. The other figure, however, caught my gaze. The figure was a girl who had a more dangerous air around her than any of the other demigods, and she was glaring at the hunters through narrowed electric blue eyes. Her spiky hair gave off a punk air, accentuated by deep black eye shadow.

I glanced back at the son of Poseidon, who I learned was named James.

"Well James, you would do well to listen to your wiser companion, the daughter of Athena over there. I am an ally, but you would do well not to cross me. I have been through more than you can even begin to imagine."

The blustering demigod scoffed and raised his sword in a challenging position. Immediately, the blue-eyed girl strode forward and pulled out a canister of mace, which extended into a spear. She reached out and disarmed James with a flick of her wrist. I looked at her, mildly impressed.

"James, enough. Adhere to the mission; we're supposed to bring these two demigods back to camp, but one of them has been taken by the hunt, and the other probably died of shock by now," she said, irritated, before glancing at the last figure, who was lying a few meters away.

Artemis yelled across the clearing towards me, "I will be back momentarily. Do not leave this clearing or I will hunt you down this time, boy."

I nodded in acknowledgment before turning to the remaining demigods.

"I would recommend one of you tells what's going on to the poor boy over there. I wouldn't want to be the one explaining where his sister went," I said.

James' eyes narrowed and he called back to his companions, "Annabeth, can you bring the kid over here so we can explain the stuff. And Thalia, how dare you humiliate me like that?"

Thalia's eyes narrowed dangerously, "You fool! If you hadn't tried to prove yourself by rushing after that manticore alone, we wouldn't have had to rely on the hunt's help."

I noticed the bitter tone when she talked about the hunt and raised my eyebrow, curious to know why she despised them so. The demigod glanced momentarily at me before deciding to spare me the explanation. I decided to leave the group of demigods alone and followed the path the hunters had taken.

As I was nearing their camp, I almost ran into Zoe, who had been clearly waiting for me. She grabbed my shirt and dragged me into the shelter of the woods.

"Perseus, where have you been all these years? How do you know the Lord of Time will rise soon?"

I looked at her grimly before answering hesitantly, "I was training and traveling the world, trying to learn everything I missed. My old trainer contacted me a few days ago to tell me that it was time for me to go to Olympus and offer my aid."

She nodded slowly, a scared look on her face, "How can one person make a difference in this war?"

I held her gaze for a moment, then sighed, "Zoe, I haven't told anyone else this. You must understand that this must remain a secret, as it may be our ticket to winning this war against Kronos."

Zoe looked at me intently, signaling that she understood and that I should explain.

"Well, when I regained my memories, I learned that my original trainer was Chronus, primordial of time."

She gasped in shock before motioning me to go on.

"At the end of my decade of training, he gave me his blessing, giving me power over time. However, he explained that only a true life and death situation would be able to unlock the power. After the battle you saw me fight in, the gods appeared, erasing the memories of the Greeks. I hid, but Hecate saw me and began weaving her spell. As I was losing my memories, my time powers released instinctively and froze everything, but drained my energy drastically. Chronus appeared and took over my spell, then offered to train me. For a hundred years, I trained nonstop in order to master the domain of time, which I now can control as well as Kronos."

The beautiful huntress just gaped at me before regaining her composure.

"That certainly explains why the helicopter seemed to pause in midair before you destroyed it."

I looked away sheepishly, "Oh yeah, I forgot about hiding my control of time for a few moments, and I hoped no one noticed it."

She was about to respond before an angry yell arose from the clearing. Zoe got up immediately, "That was milady; she probably found you weren't in the clearing. Come on, let's hurry."

She grabbed my hand and dragged me quickly through the woods. Pausing at the edge of the clearing, she pushed me into the clearing first. I walked rapidly towards the angry figure of Artemis, who was burning a hole in me with her eyes as I moved towards her.

I bowed low, "Lady Artemis, I was merely taking care of some business. I sincerely apologize for having been the cause of your anger."

Her expression softened as she appreciated my respect before her gaze hardened suddenly, "Where is Zoe? What did you do?"

"Milady, I am here. What happened?" a voice called from the side of the clearing. I grinned at Zoe's graceful figure approaching, appreciating the way she made it seem as if we had had no contact.

Artemis' expression became emotionless as she turned to the demigods, who were all huddled around each other for warmth, sitting on a nearby log.

"Demigods, I have called Apollo to take you and the hunters back to camp for now. Zeus has asked me to mount a solo hunt that is of vital importance."

All the hunters groaned at having to travel with Apollo. Zoe stepped forward, "Milady, may I accompany you on this hunt?"

Artemis shook her head sadly, "No, Zoe. I've been ordered to go alone, and this might prove incredibly dangerous. I cannot put you in such a dangerous situation."

The lieutenant frowned but stepped back in acknowledgment. Artemis looked at her sadly for a moment before turning to them all, "Apollo will be here in the morning. For now, camp out for the rest of the night. Boy, I'd like a word."

I glanced at her, surprised, but followed her into the forest. The goddess turned towards me and sat down on the ground, motioning for me to join her. She looked at me critically before sighing,

"Boy, I do not know who you are nor how you are still alive, but I do know you told Zoe something. I want you to tell me about this threat you are both clearly stricken by."

I hesitated for a few moments.

"Lady Artemis, what I'm telling you now I will tell Olympus when we go there as well. You might find it hard to believe, but I swear on the River Styx that all I will say is true in regards to this threat."

Thunder boomed and Artemis looked at me with newfound curiosity. I inhaled deeply before continuing.

"I was made partially immortal by the Titans 2400 years ago after they captured me and sent me to Tartarus."

Artemis' eyes immediately flashed in anger and she whipped out her two silver hunting knives and pinned me against a tree, her knives at the front and back of my neck. She glared at me angrily,

"You are a servant of the Titans? You've been through Tartarus? Die, boy!"

Anger filled me immediately at her rash actions. I chuckled coldly, "Stab me then."

Surprise adorned her eyes before her face became completely emotionless. Artemis pushed the knife hard against my neck, only for it to slip once it contacted my skin. She recoiled in shock. I pulled myself up from the tree and held her gaze emotionlessly. I walked over and sat down where I had been and spoke coldly,

"Indeed, I bear the blessing of the Styx. Now, I would prefer if you allowed me to finish my tale before trying to kill me."

She nodded once, her eyes filled with shock and a hint of fear. I went on to explain my imprisonment and my subsequent talk with Kronos, then explained my escape and how I arrived near their camp during the Civil War. I left out all parts involving primordials, then told the goddess of the moon how I had traveled the world ever since.

At the end of my story, Artemis was clearly shaken at the confirmation that Kronos was rising. She paced a bit in front of me before turning back to me.

"Do you realize what monster I am hunting boy?"

I held her gaze evenly before replying, "I have my suspicions. It is the Ophiotaurus, is it not?"

She nodded imperceptibly, "I don't know if you heard the prophecy, but I think telling you will aid you in what you need to do. It is as follows:

_A half-blood of the eldest gods_

_Shall reach sixteen against all odds_

_And see the world in endless sleep_

_The hero's soul, cursed blade shall reap_

_A single choice shall end his days_

_Olympus to preserve or raze_

There are currently two demigods that can fulfill this prophecy, and you met both of them."

"Thalia and James, correct?"

She smiled at me for the first time and nodded in acknowledgment, "Thalia was recently freed, as she had been trapped as a tree for seven years. Until then, we believed James would be the one of the prophecy."

I laughed harshly, "That boy is hopeless. Thalia has spirit, I believe she would be a great hero."

Artemis nodded, "I agree with you Perseus; Thalia is our best hope. However, she also wields Zeus' fatal flaw: power-hungriness. I am worried about what may happen."

I smiled at her calling me by my name and not boy, showing that I had garnered her respect.

"That may be, but from what I have seen from her, I believe she has what it takes to conquer this flaw."

"Indeed, she is a strong, one of a kind maiden. I once offered her a position in the hunt, but she refused in favor of remaining with her friends. Her loyalty and skills have always impressed me," Artemis said.

I glanced at the sky and noticed that dawn was breaking out. Artemis looked at the sun and motioned to me to follow her back into the clearing. All the hunters glared at me suspiciously, clearly angered at the fact that I spent so much time alone in the presence of their mistress. Artemis noticed this and waved the hunters off.

"Do not worry hunters. Perseus and I were merely talking about what will occur on Olympus soon."

Zoe looked shocked at the fact that Artemis referred to me by my name instead of by boy. The goddess merely looked at the sun and shouted, "Apollo! Hurry up!"

The sun suddenly glowed bright, forcing everyone to shield their eyes. Warmth enveloped me as I heard the sound of a car coming to a stop. I opened my eyes and eyed a glowing, red Maserati Spyder that had just parked near the edge of the cliff. A blond eighteen year old stepped out of the car and flashed us a blinding smile.

"Little sis, why are you always so impatient?"

Artemis clenched her fists, "I. Am. Not. Your. Little. Sis. I helped with your birth! How many times do I have to tell you?"

Apollo just grinned mockingly, "Okay little sis. Whatever you say."

The goddess of the moon took a deep breath before speaking, "Indeed, it is whatever I say. I want you to take these campers and my hunters to Camp Half-Blood. Remember, no flirting, touching, or even looking at my hunters. You try anything and I will hunt you down mercilessly."

Apollo raised his hands in a pacifying gesture, "Woah sis, don't get mad! I know the rules."

He glanced at a particularly attractive hunter who was holding her equipment and smiled, "Hey there beautiful, do you want some help with that?"

A silver arrow flew over Apollo's head, slicing through his sandy blond hair. Artemis growled at him, "I will kill you!"

Apollo sighed and turned to his Maserati, "I guess we need some more room."

The god of the sun snapped his fingers. The beautiful convertible glowed brilliantly before expanding into the shape of a shuttle bus. He strode over and settled into the driving seat before calling out to the campers and hunters, "Come on! We don't have all day!"

With a lot of grumbling, the hunters slipped onto the bus and settled at the back. The campers followed them and sat in the front near Apollo. Artemis and I watched as Apollo grinned cheekily at his sibling and waved before he drove off into the air. Artemis turned towards me immediately,

"Perseus, I will flash us to Olympus. Just repeat what you told me, I will vouch for you in case Zeus tries to kill you due to your power."

I looked at her, shock evident in my eyes. She merely sighed,

"You have, despite my efforts, managed to garner my respect. Not many people can go through what you have and still be so collected. I need not mention your skill with the bow, which, by the way, I excel."

She let a small smile play across her lips, and I grinned at her. Artemis grabbed my shoulder and flashed us right outside of the throne room. She glanced at me while I took in the massive double doors.

"Why are you not astounded by the beauty of our city?" she asked, surprised. I shook my head bitterly,

"When I was in Tartarus, I was taken to the ruins of Othrys. Despite the obvious state of disrepair, the double doors of their throne room were even more extraordinary than this. Their throne room was the greatest architectural vestige I have ever seen."

Artemis just nodded and pushed open the doors. As I walked into the massive throne room, I immediately took in the twelve massive thrones set up in a U-shape around the room. The room was beautiful, but not in the same awe-inspiring way as the throne room in Othrys. Artemis grew to her godly size of fifteen feet and walked over to her throne, which was pure silver and adorned with images of her hunts. She raised her hand and called for an Olympian meeting. A few minutes later, the gods began flashing into their thrones.

All of them looked quite bored. Apollo was absent, but that was due to him transporting the campers and the hunters. Zeus, settling in his throne at the apex of the U, looked over at his daughter.

"Artemis, what is the meaning of this emergency call? And who is this mortal?"

Artemis looked slightly fearful, "I have information about the war that is coming. Actually, Perseus here knows more about the rise of your father."

The gods that hadn't been paying attention immediately dropped the things they were playing around with and all stared at me in shock.

I stepped forward confidently, standing straight and looking directly at Zeus before bowing, "Lord Zeus."

He nodded in acknowledgment, "Well demigod, tell us your information."

I immediately launched into a description of exactly what I had told Artemis the night before. When I finally finished, Apollo flashed onto his throne and asked, "What did I miss?"

Zeus just glared at him for a couple seconds before settling back into his throne, clearly deep in thought. As I waited patiently for him to say something, Apollo suddenly stood up. His eyes glowed green and green mist escaped his mouth.

He opened his mouth, and a different voice hissed,

"_Five shall go west to the goddess in chains,_

_One shall be lost in the land without rain,_

_The bane of Olympus shows the trail,_

_Campers and Hunters combined prevail,_

_The Titan's curse must one withstand,_

_And one shall perish by a parent's hand_."

Apollo fell back against his throne and rubbed his hand against his forehead.

"Well, that was an unfortunate prophecy."

I just raised my eyebrow and contemplated the council. None of the goddesses were missing, which meant the prophecy was not meant to occur yet. Artemis then stood up, "I must go pursue my solo hunt; it is of the utmost importance I get my hands on that monster before the enemy. We can worry about this new prophecy later."

She flashed out immediately. The rest of the gods talked among themselves briefly, then began following suit, until only Zeus remained. He rose from his throne and walked over to me, shrinking to human height. I tensed and placed a hand on my ring, which was Anaklusmos. Zeus looked at me in the eyes and said, "I will have to send you to Camp Half-Blood for now. I will think about the information you have brought us. Your power, however, impresses me. I want you to swear an oath of loyalty to Olympus so that we can be assured that you are not working for Kronos. If you refuse, you will be killed."

I held his gaze evenly for a few moments, thinking. After contemplating my options, I nodded tersely at Zeus.

"Very well, Lord Zeus. I understand why you make such demands. I swear on the River Styx to serve Olympus against the Titans as long as their threat remains, unless I am betrayed."

Zeus tilted his head sideways curiously before nodding approvingly. He placed his hand on my shoulder and flashed me to the edge of Camp Half-Blood. I immediately glanced around at my surroundings, taking in the position of the camp. I noticed a massive pine tree with the Golden Fleece on it, guarded by a massive dragon. Looking further, I saw what looked like a large barn and a series of cabins, shaped in a similar fashion to the throne room.

I strode into camp, head held up high. A few campers milling around the various locations just looked at me and whispered to each other, probably asking themselves who I was and who my parent was. A clip clop sound shook me out of my thoughts and I spotted a centaur coming towards me. I recognized him instantly: it was Chiron, the legendary trainer of heroes.

I respected the centaur a lot for the way he trained so many heroes and cared for them all, which led me to bow to him as he approached. Flanking him were the three demigods I had seen fail their mission yesterday. James, the son of Poseidon, glared at me bitterly while Annabeth, the daughter of Athena, nodded appreciatively. Thalia, the daughter of Zeus, kept an emotionless face on and looked at me indifferently.

"Hello child, what's your name?" Chiron asked.

I smiled, "My name is Perseus, and I am far from young."

The centaur looked at me quizzically, raising an eyebrow. I chuckled, "Chiron, if the gods are willing, they will tell you my story."

Chiron looked very surprised, but nodded anyways, "Well then Perseus, make yourself at home. Since you are undetermined, you'll have to sleep in the Hermes cabin. It seems like these three met you on their last extraction mission, so I'll let them show you around."

I merely blinked in acknowledgment, and the centaur turned and returned to the barn structure. I looked back at the three demigods, each sporting a different facial expression. I decided to approach the daughter of Athena, as she seemed friendliest. I could tell she was dying to ask me questions as well, so I walked over.

"Annabeth was your name, right?"

She nodded shyly, blushing slightly. I realized she might be harboring a crush on me, especially since I had complimented her when they were on their mission.

"Don't be shy, I guess your two friends aren't as welcoming, so I decided to talk to the one person who doesn't seem to hate my guts."

Her face broke into a smile. I could see her shyness was beginning to evaporate rapidly.

"How could you talk so casually with Lady Artemis? You are a male mortal and she is a man-hating goddess?" she asked. I grinned, "Me and Artemis go way back, millennia in fact. Although I doubt she remembers me as having aided her then."

The daughter of Athena was absolutely stunned, a look of shock paralyzing her face. I realized instantly that I had revealed my immortality, which would obviously shock her. I waved my hand in front of her face and said, "Anyone there? Annabeth? I probably should've warned you, but I'm not just a mortal demigod, I'm actually immortal. I was born in ancient Greece, at the peak of the gods' era."

Annabeth slowly began snapping out of her mental paralysis as she processed what I said. However, her first question surprised me.

"Which Greek structure do you like the most? I love architecture, and since you were there, at least I think, which was your favorite?"

I thought for a moment before replying, "To be honest, the greatest Greek structure I have ever seen was the throne room of Othrys. It was something surreal, absolutely stunning."

Annabeth gasped and backed away from me. I raised an eyebrow questioningly, but then recalled that she probably thought I was in league with the Titans.

"You actually believe I am allied with the Titans? That I would let that info slip so easily? I expected more from the daughter of a wisdom goddess. In fact, I have an extreme grudge against the Titans, especially Hyperion."

The daughter of Athena nodded slowly, but was clearly intimidated of me anyways by now. She squeaked, "Okay bye now!"

I shook my head sadly; no one ever wanted to trust me above ground. Even a hundred fifty years after Tartarus, I had found no one. Except Zoe. But she was from my time before Tartarus, the greatest era I lived in. I found myself reminiscing deeply about ancient Greece. Nostalgia invaded my being, and I sighed sadly before retiring to the Hermes cabin.

* * *

**(Several days later)**

I was observing the campers and the hunters play capture the flag from a comfortable position in a tree. The last few days had been rather uneventful, and camp was boring. No one posed enough of a challenge for me, so I didn't bother fighting anyone. The hunt, who had been staying at the camp, merely pranked the campers constantly. I had no chance to have time alone with Zoe, my only friend.

The hunters were tearing the campers apart like what apparently was the norm, but James had impressed me. Apparently since his humiliation at the hands of the manticore, he had decided to improve himself. He had trained nonstop while I had been there, and now he had almost given the campers their closest chance at winning in years.

I noticed the daughter of Zeus, Thalia, stomped over towards James, clearly angry about something. I chuckled lightly before shadow traveling out of the tree and between them. Thalia looked at me with shock before narrowing her eyes, "Move out of the way Perseus, unless you want to be shocked too."

I just looked at her with a bemused expression on my face, "Why are you so mad?"

By this time all the campers had gathered around to watch us. Thalia growled, "He was supposed to stay on defense! He cost us the game!"

She quickly raised her spear and fired a bolt of lightning at James, who was standing with his back to the creek. The son of Poseidon quickly dodged, before summoning his powers and raising the creek completely in the air over Thalia. I nodded appreciatively at the son of Poseidon, "Nice James, that's some quality control you got there." _Perhaps I was hasty in judging his capabilities with Artemis _I thought.

James nodded in acknowledgment before dropping the water on Thalia, who screamed at being drenched.

"I will kill you, Kelp Head." As she prepared to shoot more lightning at James, a gasp suddenly arose from the campers and hunters. I spun around and instantly spotted the disturbance: the Oracle was floating towards our congregation of demigods, glowing with an unearthly green glow. The campers parted for the moving Oracle as it headed straight for the hunters before stopping in front of Zoe. Then, the mummy spoke in our minds, green mist oozing out of its rotted mouth,

"_I am the sprit of Delphi_. _Speaker of the prophecies of Phoebus Apollo, slayer of the mighty Python_. _Approach, Seeker, and ask_."

Zoe swallowed, "What must I do to help my goddess?"

More green mist appeared, as suddenly I saw the vague image of a mountain that I recognized, and a girl standing at the barren peak. It was Artemis, but she was wrapped in chains, tethered to the rocks. She was kneeling, her hands raised as if to fend off an attacker, and it looked like she was in pain. The Oracle spoke,

"_Five shall go west to the goddess in chains,_

_One shall be lost in the land without rain,_

_The bane of Olympus shows the trail,_

_Campers and Hunters combined prevail,_

_The Titan's curse must one withstand,_

_And one shall perish by a parent's hand_."

Then, the mist swirled and retreated like a great green serpent into the mummy's mouth, leaving no trace of movement.

Zoe gulped visibly; I instantly realized what this prophecy meant. I hadn't thought about it much since Apollo had delivered it, but now it made sense. The goddess in chains was clearly Artemis, probably captured on her solo hunt. The bane of Olympus had to be the Ophiotaurus, Artemis' targeted monster. From the visions shown by the Oracle, Artemis was trapped under some sort of burden. The only one that made sense from the clues would mean that she was lifting the sky, which meant that Zoe's quest's destination was none other than her former home.

The place where her father lifted the sky.

The Garden of the Hesperides.

Which meant that the last line… No. I won't allow it.

Everyone was still quiet, shocked by the appearance of the Oracle. Finally, Chiron decided to break the dangerous silence, "Zoe? Who will you take for this quest?"

The huntress just stood still, clearly trying to recover from the prophecy. I could tell she knew exactly what the last line meant. Her beautiful face was contorted with worry; I doubt I could be as incredibly brave as her. A prophecy just decreed her guaranteed death, and I could tell she knew that too.

"Zoe?" Chiron prompted. She immediately made her face blank, not betraying any of the emotion that had been plaguing her for the last few moments.

"I see I have no choice but to take campers. Since five people are required, I will take three hunters and two campers," Zoe commanded coldly. Chiron nodded in acknowledgment, seeing the wisdom in her words.

She continued, "In that case, I will go, along with Phoebe and Bianca." The two named hunters stepped forward. The first one was a bulky girl, clearly strong and gave off the air of a spawn of Ares. The other girl looked much younger, and she was shielding her face within her dark black hair. Her olive skin immediately reminded me of Nico, the kid we had saved the week before. I realized this was his sister, the one who joined the hunt.

Meanwhile, Zoe had been contemplating the campers. Her gaze focused on Thalia before she spoke again, glancing at me slightly, "The campers I want are Thalia and Perseus."

A look of disbelief crossed the face of the daughter of Zeus while Phoebe immediately started complaining about having to travel with a boy, especially one as disrespectful as me. She was probably there when I tied Artemis and evaded the hunt, the memory of which brought a smile to my face. Unfortunately, the angry huntress noticed.

"Boy, why are you smiling? You are useless, disrespectful swine, and I will teach you a lesson. Why would Artemis even want you saving her?"

To my surprise, Thalia intervened, "What are you talking about? He hasn't done anything disrespectful as far as I've seen."

The huntress looked like she was about to retort angrily, but then a flash of light signaling a god's arrival interrupted her. Everyone shielded their eyes as the light took shape. Standing before us was Hermes. The messenger smiled at the campers, all of whom were now bowing low to him. He winked at his children, some of whom returned his wink. He then turned to me and grinned, seeing I hadn't bowed.

"Well Perseus, I see you're not easily impressed."

I laughed. Hermes chuckled a bit too before a serious look took over his face,

"Listen, Perseus, I'm sure you'd love to accompany three man-hating girls and a punk across the country to save a man-hating goddess, Zeus wants to give you a special mission. I'll take you to Olympus."

I raised my eyebrow curiously before nodding my acknowledgment. The daughter of Ares choked, clearly offended at Hermes' descriptions. I turned to Zoe, an apologetic look on my face, "Sorry Zoe, I guess the Fates really do hate me."

She gave me a hidden smile before turning on her cold demeanor immediately. She turned back to the campers, glaring at the boys, all of whom flinched under her harsh glare. Zoe finally decided, "Very well then, I'll take the daughter of Athena."

She nodded to Annabeth, who merely replied, "Okay, I'll come."

Hermes smiled at the group who were to go on the quest before turning back to me and placing a hand on my shoulder, flashing us back to the throne room of Olympus. The council was already assembled, and Zeus looked at me gravely before he began speaking, "Perseus, it has come to our attention that Artemis has been captured. I am beginning to believe the rumors I've heard of my father's attempts at rising. I know you are powerful, your story speaks for itself, and I suspect my father is clever enough to plant spies in Camp Half-Blood."

I nodded; for once, Zeus was being remarkably intelligent. I had a faint suspicion Athena had aided her father, but the King of the Gods seemed rather edgy.

"My daughter Athena proposed we send you to shadow the quest. Apollo has had visions of the quest, and the enemy seemed to know about them. Your aid in supporting them in the dark will be invaluable," he explained. I smirked slightly: I was right about this being Athena's idea.

"Lord Zeus, this idea is indeed an intelligent one. I am willing to help protect the quest," I announced to the council. Zeus looked satisfied, sitting back in his throne while being less tense.

"Very well then Perseus. You can rest for the night here in Olympus and we will send you to the quest's location tomorrow. Remember to remain hidden unless there is a life and death situation."

I blinked in acknowledgment. The gods began flashing out of their thrones until no one remained in the throne room. I glanced at the hearth and immediately corrected myself. A girl no older than nine was tending to the warm flames, her eyes two flaming pits. I instantly recognized her as none other than Hestia. She looked up and saw me looking at her. The goddess's eyes widened in shock initially before a look of pleasant surprise occupied her face.

As I approached her, I bowed low, "Lady Hestia, it is a pleasure."

Her surprised face broke into a wide grin, "Perseus, I have heard your stories. I know you have been through more than most demigods. It has been a long, long time since a demigod last saw me."

Her face turned downcast at her last sentence. I looked at her sad expression and realized that the hearth was flickering, not as solid or as warm as the flames of the legends I heard back in ancient Greece. Hesitantly, I spoke, "Lady Hestia, I fail to understand why demigods cannot see you. Your role at the heart of Olympus is unique and vital. Is that why the hearth seems dimmer than what I had heard?"

She looked at me for a few moments, then said, "It is not only that. I can feel demigods losing hope, turning on their parents. They want respect, they want recognition. Hope is the fuel of the hearth; these demigods are joining my father. With each soul that loses hope, each one that joins him, the hearth dies a bit."

I was astounded by this information. I had known demigods were joining Kronos, but not to the degree where they would affect the hearth of Olympus. I just looked sadly at Hestia and her dying hearth.

"The inability of the gods to control themselves will be the end of them," I said softly. She merely nodded, unable to take her eyes off of the faint flames.

"You are wise, Perseus. I know that if there is one person that can change the course of this soon-to-come war, it is you."

I smiled at her praise, bowing gratefully, "You are truly flattering me, Lady Hestia. I am but a mere demigod."

She waved away my attempts to not accept the praise, before smiling widely, "Do not lose hope, Perseus. No matter the darkest situation, hope will always accompany you and lead you down the right path. Now go rest Perseus, you have a long quest ahead of you."

I nodded in acknowledgment, then she placed her hand on my shoulder and flashed me into a dark room. I realized this was probably the quarters Zeus had given me, so I walked over to the bed and fell asleep, thinking about Artemis' predicament, the quest, and what bothered me the most of all:

Zoe's fate.


End file.
